Lost and Found
by atrophying mind
Summary: Hiei searches for his lost sister when he runs into Shuichi... and Karasu. AU, so Shuichi and Kurama are different beings. There are pairings between Hiei, Shuichi, Kurama, and Karasu. YAOI.
1. Departure

A/N: It's been a while since I wrote something with a plot…

**READ THIS FIRST** or else you won't understand the story. It starts off slow, but I promise Hiei x Kurama goodness in chapter three and on.

This is an AU. In Makai and Ningenkai, the demons have taken over. There is the Reikai, but they don't have that much power.

In this story, human Kurama and youko Kurama are different beings. Human Kurama is named Shuichi Minamino and youko Kurama is… Youko Kurama. There's one-sided Shuichi x Kurama and non-consensual Karasu x Shuichi. (I can't stop torturing poor Shuichi) Obviously, there's going to be Hiei x Shuichi. (It's all I write) That's all I'm going to say now or else I'll reveal too much. You're still here and interested? Okay then, enjoy the story.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

An egotistical youko walked through the forest. He had long silver hair that went up to his slim waist. His golden eyes glinted with mischief as he took his long graceful strides. In his long, slender fingers, he played with a rare jewel that cost millions on the black market. Unfortunately for him, he didn't realize that the keeper of that jewel was a spirit hunter. He didn't know that he himself was a pretty rare jewel to catch. The first sign of trouble was when a tree exploded to his left. He turned his head and perked his ears to find the source of the disturbance.

A spirit bullet was fired towards him, which he barely dodged. The youko started to realize who it was that was after him. Thinking he could outsmart the hunter, he ran through the forest, thinking the plants would give him the advantage.

The youko ran through the branches, grabbing vines to swing across huge distances with ease. The hunter was getting closer. The youko ordered the man-eating plants to attack, but the hunter knew better. One wave of spirit energy wiped out his plants. Now the youko started to panic.

Vines and branches tried to slow the hunter down, but he burned through them with his energy. Plants were doing no harm to him. Venomous plants started to ooze poisonous acid onto the hunter, but he was too quick for them. A few spirit bullets got rid of the troublesome plants. The hunter was a fearsome opponent.

The forest grew thicker and darker. The youko wanted to get into the heart of the forest, where he would be at his strongest. He hid the jewel inside one of his plants, which removed itself from the area of the dawning battle. The silver youko slid his graceful fingers through his hair and pulled out a variety of seeds. He tossed them onto the ground and fed demon energy into them. Blood-sucking plants, man-eating plants, acidic plants, poisonous plants, and spirit absorbing plants bloomed. They all waited to tear the hunter to shreds. The youko also pulled a rose out of his hair and transformed it into a whip. He grew excited at the upcoming battle.

The hunter knew what the youko was planning. He had plenty of experiences with thieves and powerful demons. The youko was cunning and powerful, but also arrogant and stubborn. The youko would count on success because they were fighting on his turf. The hunter slowly approached the plants. The vicious plants lunged for him. He tried to shoot them, but several of the plants absorbed his energy and shot it back at him. He didn't expect this. This youko was very crafty.

Acknowledging that a direct attack wouldn't work, the hunter dodged the plants, trying to avoid the poison and acid that were spewed at him. Occasionally he could shoot a plant, but another one grew to take its place. The youko also tried to hit him with his whip. It was dark, so even spotting a silver glimpse would be difficult. The only light that was present was from the spirit energy the hunter released. But, both parties could fight with their senses.

The battle continued. The hunter was getting worn out. He constantly dodged the plants and tried to shoot wherever he sensed the youko, but the youko easily dodged his attacks. The hunter was getting low on energy, so he collapsed on the floor. The plants surrounded him, but the youko ordered them to back off. The kill would be for him, not the plants. They could have his body once he had taken his life. Thinking that the hunter was too low on energy and too weak to put up any more resistance, the youko approached him. He lifted his whip, preparing to behead the hunter.

The hair on the back of the youko's neck rose. However, it was too late, the hunter gathered all his remaining energy and shot the bullet right into the youko's belly. The youko had been hit directly. The plants no longer had any youki to support them, so they returned to seeds. The youko turned back to his true form and limped away from the hunter. The hunter was too tired to chase after him, so he stayed where he was. The youko wandered away, trying to get away from the hunter as much as possible.

The youko made it out of the forest but was injured and bleeding profusely. He was very weak and fell down.

A small child with crimson hair saw the youko limp out of the forest. He could see that the youko was in pain. The little human approached the youko, but it bared its teeth at him. Even the little child could kill him if he chose to. Pain wracked the youko's body and he passed out.

X X X X Ten Years Later in the Ningenkai X X X X

The human boy wandered out of the cave that his guardian had told him to stay in. The boy was too curious and adventurous to listen. He slid down the smooth rocks as his feet tried to find footholds. The cave was dug into a cliff that made it difficult for enemies to get into. The teenage boy thought he was slick enough to get down without trouble. However, his foot slipped off a glossy rock and he fell off the cliff. He closed his emerald eyes, preparing for the pain.

A pair of strong pale arms caught him before he made it to the ground. The boy opened his eyes to see that his guardian was glaring down at him.

"What did I tell you about leaving the cave?" the youko asked.

"I'm sorry, Kurama, but I couldn't stay there for another day. I need space to move!" the human said. The cave wasn't small at all. The boy just got sick of staring at the same walls for the past few weeks.

"Maybe I should have let you fall to your death. Perhaps that would teach you to obey my commands," Kurama sighed.

"But you love me too much to see me die," the saucy boy retorted.

Kurama didn't answer the youth, knowing that it was just his way of getting attention. He carried him back into the cave with relative ease. The plants posted near the entrance of the cave let their master in. Kurama walked deeper in, his feet meeting plush carpet.

"What is so horrible about this cave? You have luxuries beyond the imagination of most demons," Kurama stated.

There were jewels piled high in a few corners of the cave. A soft bed was placed near the wall and fancy recliners furnished the place. The soft carpet and the beautiful artworks that adorned the walls would make anyone feel pampered, but not the boy.

"I don't care about the jewels or the rare artwork, or anything else, I just want you," the boy whispered into the youko's ear. Kurama put the boy down on the cushiony bed. However, the human wouldn't let go of his guardian, he missed having Kurama with him again.

"Shuichi, let go," Kurama said sternly.

"So you can leave again? I haven't seen you in three weeks," Shuichi sulked. The youth let him go anyway, knowing that Kurama would break his grasp anytime he wanted.

"I know I've been away longer than I planned, but I had some business to attend to," the youko said.

"It's always business with you. You never have time for me anymore," Shuichi complained.

"Stop whining, I'm taking you into town this evening," Kurama said.

"Really? And I can buy anything I want?"

Kurama nodded. For once in months, Shuichi was jumping up and down, almost like he was eight again. The boy was so happy that Kurama was finally going to spend time with him. He was starting to think that Kurama was beginning to tire of him.

Today was a special day. Shuichi was going to turn fifteen. Although Shuichi thought he was on his way to becoming a man, Kurama was still treating him like a child. He still pets him on the head when he was good and spanked him when he did something naughty. He knew that most humans his age were starting to move away from their parents or guardians and start their own lives, but he started to feel more and more attached to his surrogate parent.

Most humans tried to stay within their own cities and away from demons. However, there weren't most places in the Ningenkai that didn't have demon influences. Shuichi knew that whatever relatives he had left presumed him to be dead, because his mother and father had been slaughtered by demons and he went missing. But Shuichi didn't regret his decision in following the seductive youko. He was exposed to libraries of knowledge and tasted exquisite treats that few had enjoyed. In short, he lived in the lap of luxury with Youko Kurama.

Shuichi Minamino wasn't spoiled though. When he traveled with Kurama, he would cook food for both of them and carry his own bag of necessities. Shuichi knew martial arts so he could defend himself against lower class demons and he knew how to manipulate a whip very well. Although it wasn't as grand and powerful as Kurama's rose whip, Shuichi's leather whip could yield devastating results on foes.

X X X X

When the evening rolled around, an excited Shuichi nearly skipped all the way to town. He got to go on a shopping spree that anyone would envy. Kurama first brought him over to a clothing shop. Kurama pointed out the entire fine silk he thought would look good on the human boy. There were different patterns, styles, and colors to choose from. The place didn't have much human clothing, so the clothes resembled Kurama's provocative clothing style. Some had cuts that exposed the legs, others exposed the belly and chest. Kurama's phrase was: If you have a beautiful body, why cover it up?

Next, they bought some jewelry. Not the rare kind that cost millions and Kurama had hidden away in his covert hideouts. These bracelets and necklaces were accessories that matched everyday outfits. They were relatively cheap. Shuichi didn't really like getting dressed up and walking around like a doll on display, but he couldn't resist Kurama's gifts.

For Kurama's amusement, he brought the human to a female shop. Shuichi was beyond embarrassed as Kurama made him try on dresses and lingerie. Shuichi couldn't wait to leave the store, his face rivaling the color of his hair. However, before the youth could make it to the exit, Kurama bound him to a chair and started to put clips in his hair and style it. Shuichi's long silky hair was soon pinned up in some fancy hairstyle. The other females in the store wanted to take a look at him. They all commented on how beautiful SHE was and how she should get surgery to enhance her breasts. Shuichi would have run from the store if it weren't for the vines holding him down. Kurama wasn't being much help. He didn't seem to mind passing Shuichi off as a girl. He even chuckled when a woman offered to pair Kurama's "daughter" up with her son. Deciding that he had enough fun, Kurama took Shuichi with him to the exit.

Shuichi couldn't get over his embarrassment and anger, not accepting expensive gifts Kurama was buying at random, hoping to appease the blushing boy. After chasing him around the market for an hour, they both got pretty hungry. Shuichi decided to forgive him when the youko ordered exquisite delicacies that he knew Shuichi savored. It was a smoked poultry that originated from the Makai covered with herbs and spices in the perfect proportion. The youko had fine wine and steak.

Afterwards, they went into a human clothing store where Shuichi bought underwear, socks, and other basic clothing. Later, they bought perfume and other aromatic items. They browsed other various stores until Kurama's wallet got considerably light. By nightfall, they had already returned to the cave.

Shuichi was trying on some of his outfits and accessories. He knew he looked rather vain constantly looking at the mirror, but it had just been so long since he got something from Kurama that wasn't a fancy jewel of some kind.

"I take it you liked what we bought today?" Kurama asked.

"Yes, of course," Shuichi beamed. He went over to the youko and put a chaste kiss on his lips. Kurama looked around the spacious cave, noticing that Shuichi bought a lot more than he used to.

"I see you were really enthusiastic today," Kurama said nonchalantly.

"Well, it's one way to make up for the embarrassment at the female store today," Shuichi said hotly.

Kurama chuckled. He took a comb from the dresser and lifted it to his eyes. There were only a few strands there. The youko smiled. Shuichi was always so tidy.

"You are very beautiful," Kurama said plainly. He fixed his eyes on the boy in front of the mirror now. Shuichi always blushed whenever Kurama's eyes were fixed on his body. The youko took slow graceful strides to the human. They stood face to face. His eyes were now fixed on those emerald orbs. Kurama ran his fingers gracefully through Shuichi's hair. It was so soft and silky. Even he envied them. He ran his finger through the ruby locks one more time.

"So beautiful," Kurama whispered. His fingers now traced the outline of Shuichi's jaw and stopped at his chin, where he gripped it and forced Shuichi to look at his intense gaze. Shuichi could feel his body getting hot.

"Ku-Kurama," Shuichi stuttered. His breathing also got faster. Kurama hushed him with his index finger and brought his own pale lips onto the soft cherry ones. It was an innocent gesture, but Shuichi slightly parted his mouth and let his tongue dart out to taste Kurama. Kurama opened his mouth in surprise, accidentally allowing Shuichi to dip his tongue into his cavern.

Kurama quickly pulled away, surprising Shuichi.

"Kurama?" Shuichi wondered. His eyes started to water, hurt at the rejection.

"I'm going out tonight," Kurama stated. Shuichi's pain quickly turned to anger.

"Again? Right after you just came back?" Shuichi's voiced started to rise.

"I have something to deal with."

"Today's my birthday. You should be with me!" Shuichi demanded. He immediately regretted saying that when Kurama pinned him to the bed. His golden eyes were no longer playful, but cold and distant. The fox's grip on the human's wrists was really hurting. He was afraid they might snap off.

"NEVER tell me what to do. I am not yours to order around. I will do whatever I want whenever I want and there's nothing you can do about it, human. I am not some soft creature like you," Kurama spat. He released the human and then swiftly left the cave.

Shuichi was heartbroken. He was hoping that Kurama wouldn't treat him like a child anymore now that he was fifteen. Ever since he hit puberty, Kurama started to coddle him less and less. He had told him that he needed to grow up.

His hormones were starting to take over and his body desired Kurama. The youko wasn't a guardian to him anymore, he was a potential lover. He couldn't help it, the way the fox swayed his hips sometimes, his sexy outfits, and the youko sometimes even walked around naked, showing off his handsome physique. Shuichi's body heated up at the thought of Kurama. Why did Kurama reject his advance? Kurama had told him he was very beautiful only a few moments before. Shuichi couldn't understand this.

The teenager picked up all of Kurama's gifts and hurled them to the back of the cave. They all reminded him of just how wealthy and powerful Kurama was. He was nothing but a human boy. Maybe that was why Kurama didn't want him, he wasn't worthy enough.

X X X X

Kurama rushed out of that cave and jumped onto the ground below. He had to admit that taking Shuichi was very tempting. However, when Shuichi reached puberty, he had already decided that he wouldn't treat him like his other countless sex slaves. Shuichi was much more important than that. Kurama loved him, but not in that way.

The fox smirked when he remembered how innocent the boy was. They would take baths together and sleep together, all without a sexual underlying purpose. He had missed five years of his social life taking care of that brat. However, he admitted that it was nice to do something with someone else that didn't lead to sex. The boy was like a breath of fresh air for him. Of course once the boy started to mature, he returned to his social life among the pretty demons.

Tonight, he would get his sexual desires taken care of. It was now very late and all the fun clubs were now open. The youko passed the local whorehouse, not interested in a diseased lay. Instead, he headed to a high-end bar open to only members of high social status such as himself. Inside, there were many pretty youkai from which he could pick.

Once he entered the bar, heads turned to take a long look at the infamous Youko Kurama. No one matched his graceful strides, long silver hair, mischievous golden eyes, and sensuous build. He settled down by a remote corner and ordered fine wine. His drink came in seconds and he sipped it slowly, slowly letting his eyes examine the other youkai in the room. The other youkai returned to their business but at the same time tried to attract the youko's attention.

Kurama inwardly smirked. He had such pretty pets at his disposal. A few minutes passed by and demons started to approach him. They were all different kinds: fox demons, cat demons, dog demons, wolf demons, bat demons, and others. Each had a beautiful face and a unique scent. However, Kurama had at one time or another bedded someone similar to them all. None of these would give him the thrill he sought. Well, maybe three of them at the same time would…

As he moved closer to a feisty cat demon, a youki energy attracted his attention. His golden eyes searched the room for the source of the distraction. There was a green glow coming from a corner of the club. Strange, he hadn't realized it before. And this was a powerful signature too. Kurama left the crowd of hopeful demons and approached the reclusive demon in the corner.

He was seated at a corner table and was sipping a glass of red liquid. One whiff told Kurama it was human blood mixed with alcohol. His eyes took in the demon's appearance. He had long straight black hair and piercing violet eyes. This demon had a malevolent aura surrounding him. He was much darker and dangerous than other youkai. The mask the demon wore intrigued him as well. He was masking his power? The demon chilled and thrilled him as well.

"Hi. I'm Kurama," the youko introduced himself. The demon's piercing eyes looked boldly in Kurama's. Yes, there was something malicious in those violet depths. Kurama wasn't so sure he wanted to spend the night with this evil demon anymore. The demon didn't answer. 'Is he mute?' Kurama thought.

"Karasu," he simply said.

What a chilling voice. He then got up from his seat and walked up to Kurama. He was only slightly shorter than the youko. Karasu brought his hand up to Kurama's silver hair and caressed the silky strands.

"You have beautiful hair," Karasu said. Kurama smirked at the demon. So, he was interested. This would be an interesting night indeed.

X X X X A while earlier…………… X X X X

Shuichi restlessly paced the cave. He couldn't believe that Kurama would leave him right after he came back, and on his birthday too! He had tried going to sleep, but he was too angry to. His eyes settled on the gifts that Kurama had bought for him and started to feel guilty. He shouldn't have tossed them all onto the floor like that. He picked up the clothes and put them on his bed. The sight of them made him miss the youko even more.

He wanted to apologize to him. Maybe that'll make him feel better and he'll be able to sleep. Shuichi moved over to the exit of the cave when Kurama's plants blocked his path. The youth smirked and walked over to where the roots of the plants were. About a foot along the stems from the roots was a sensitive spot that would disable the plants. Almost no one knew about this little trick. He tickled the little spot and the plant went limp. The human then cautiously slid down the cliff and headed towards Kurama's private suite.

An hour later, he arrived and entered the suite. Kurama never allowed him inside before because that's where he conducted "business" and had "private affairs." There was no one in there. However, Shuichi knew that this was the only place Kurama went to after he spent the night in town. He sat down in a soft chair and waited for his beloved guardian to return home.

Soon, Shuichi heard footsteps approaching the suite. He was so happy that Kurama had finally come home. The boy was about to approach him when he realized the youko had a guest. The youko never liked talking to him when he had guests to entertain. Not only that, the fox was a little drunk. Deciding he could talk to Kurama later, the boy hid in the shadows, waiting to stealthily leave the premises.

The demons entered the suite looking at each other with unveiled lust. As the demons started to undress, Shuichi really started regretting coming here. Maybe if he ran out right now….. No, Kurama would be mad at him. The boy clamped his eyes shut and hoped maybe the demons would move away from the bed. Maybe they'd get a bite to eat first or something.

Karasu was now completely naked, except for his mask and reclined on the grand bed. Kurama was almost naked, save for a pair of short boxers, a human garment he grew fond of. However, instead of joining the mysterious demon on the bed, he turned around and walked toward the entrance closet.

"Shuichi." Kurama said. Knowing he was caught, the human boy came out of the closet.

"What are you doing here?" Kurama asked.

"I wanted to apologize for acting so spoiled before," Shuichi said.

"Is that all? This couldn't wait until the morning?"

"I… couldn't sleep. I missed you." Shuichi confessed. The youth put on his most adorable, innocent look hoping Kurama would forget about his earlier plans and stay with him. After all, today was his birthday. Kurama put his hand on Shuichi's head and petted him.

"Go back to bed." Kurama stated. Shuichi was severely hurt. 'What?' Shuichi thought.

"I told you, I'm busy tonight." Kurama said simply. Shuichi's eyes darted jealously to the demon lying on Kurama's bed. However, as the dark haired demon looked back at him, an arctic chill went down Shuichi's spine. His body suddenly felt very cold. How could Kurama bring such a vile creature into his house?

"Shuichi, don't make me carry you back." Kurama started to get angry. Pain was evident in Shuichi's eyes and he glared at Kurama. He bit his lip and ran out of Kurama's suite.

Kurama hadn't meant to be so cruel to him, but Shuichi had to learn to be more independent. Besides, it's not very often that he found such a mysterious and menacing demon that thrilled every cell in his body. Kurama turned back to smirk at his waiting guest.

"Where were we?"

X X X X

Shuichi ran back towards the cave as fast as he could. Tears were streaming down his face and he didn't even bother to wipe them away. 'How? How could Kurama just push him aside like that for that… that… thing? Was he even a demon? Just one look from him sent chills down my back.' Shuichi thought. He didn't even realize when he made it back to the concealed cave. He was breathing hard and his emotions were in confusion.

"Why? Why did he choose someone else over me?" Shuichi asked himself. Then a terrifying thought occurred to him.

'He doesn't love me anymore.' Shuichi concluded. It took him a few minutes to process this. That would make sense. For the past few years Kurama had spent less and less time with him. He has also less affectionate. Shuichi felt like someone just fiercely ripped his heart from his chest. Then, Shuichi decided what he must do.

He had to run away. It was the best for both of them. Kurama didn't love him anymore and had no interest in him. He was just a burden to him. And if Kurama didn't love him, why should he stay any longer? He should have left earlier, when Kurama was no longer showing signs of interest. Yes, he would leave and find a better life. There had to be someone out there that had to love him.

Shuichi climbed the rocks to the cave one more time. He took a bag and packed clothes, food, and other necessities. As he was packing, he came upon the first jewel that Kurama ever gave him. It was the one that Kurama was chasing after when that spirit hunter injured him. That jewel was what brought them together. Shuichi angrily clutched it in his hands and then threw it as hard as he could out of the cave.

'He cares more about rare gems than he does about me.' Shuichi thought. After he finished packing, he once again used the same trick to exit the cave. And off the human boy walked, hoping to find love in the exotic and mysterious world.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

A/N: You're probably wondering where Hiei is. Well, I've decided to make up an "original" character to play his part in order to conform to the new (Mary-Sue, self-insertion, other character) influx of horribly written stories. **I'M SORRY, THAT WAS A TERRIBLE JOKE!** No, Hiei's actually in the next chapter.


	2. Meeting

A/N: Warning! Karasu meets Shuichi in this chapter. This is not for the light-hearted.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

'Yukina.' A female demon. She has long blue hair and a white kimono. 'No, it's not her.'

'Yukina.' Another demon. This one has long light blue hair tied into a ponytail. 'Not her either.'

'Yukina.' This time, the demon he saw had sea-green hair and red eyes. 'Yukina?!' The image zoomed out and he saw that… she was a mermaid.

"Kuso!" Hiei yelled. He closed his jagan and placed his headband around it. It's already been three years, and he still couldn't find his sister. The painful operation has helped him see miles around him, but he still can't find her. He must have searched the Makai twice over! Wherever she was, she was well hidden.

"Yukina…" Hiei said to himself. The fire demon dropped off the high tree he was perched on and gracefully landed on the ground. The fire demon was a very unusual youkai. He had beautiful ruby eyes and spiked black hair with a white starburst. He was short for a demon, but his power more than made up for his diminutive size. He even needed to put wards on his jagan and right hand to lower the amount of youki emanating from him. The jaganshi was a little over 400 and had already mastered the Ensatsu Kokoryuha. Because of his fearsome power and unnatural birth, many demons dreaded even being around him.

Hiei was in a foul mood. He had traveled a great distance in one day and still didn't have one clue as to where his little sister was. His legs were tired from the journey, yet he still managed to fiercely trek to the nearest town.

Once he entered the small town, the demons inhabiting the place felt the waves of animosity rolling off this little youkai. He marched straight to the local pub and shoved the doors open. Immediately, the pub went quiet. This was a small town, the locals weren't used to having such a powerful demon there.

Eyes fixed on the demon and little rumors were whispered, as if he couldn't hear them. The few youkai that knew who he was, shivered in trepidation. Hiei couldn't care less about the other youkai; there was only one that he came to see.

Trying to hide himself in the corner, the blue youkai held his mug of liquor over his face, hoping Hiei wouldn't see him. He looked through the transparent substance, looking to see if Hiei was still looking for him. Strange, where did he go? He slowly put the mug back down and saw that Hiei was nowhere around. He gave a sigh of relief.

"That stupid demon really scared me. Heh! I'm such a great youkai, he couldn't even sense me this close to him. HA HA HA H-" WHACK! The blue youkai was hit over the head with the hilt of Hiei's katana. He gave a little sob of pain.

"What was that?" Hiei asked. The blue youkai turned around to see that Hiei had been standing behind him all along.

"Hi-Hi-Hi-Hiei!" the youkai stammered. Hiei's eyes narrowed. He hated spineless cowards. Hiei unsheathed his katana and held it to his throat.

"What-what do you want?"

"Information. Where are there ice maidens?" Hiei asked.

"Heh. Heh. They're on Koorime, of course!" the demon nervously said. Hiei pressed the tip of his sword into his Adam's apple. The demon choked and gagged.

"Don't try to be funny, Roto. Again, where are the ice maidens?" Hiei threatened. He moved the katana slightly back so he could talk.

"Why-why would I know anything about that? I don't know anything about ice maidens except that they live on Koorime." Roto said. Hiei lost all his patience and grabbed the coward. He shoved his head through the wall and then slammed him back on the table. Hiei then held his katana to Roto's manhood, preparing to castrate him if he lied again.

"Everyone knows you're the biggest sycophant in the Makai. You love to have big friends that think you're a useful demon. The only thing you're good for is dirt on other demons. Now, WHERE ARE THEY?" Hiei yelled.

Roto was now whimpering and sobbing. His head hurt from the brutal attack and he was terrified of what Hiei might do to him if he didn't hear what he wanted.

"I-I-I really don't know which demon has them, but I saw a couple of new hiruiseki being sold in the Ningenkai." Roto sobbed. "Please, please don't hurt me anymore!" he begged.

"Hn. Don't worry, I wouldn't want to dirty my sword on you." Hiei said. He put his katana back in his sheath and walked out of the pub.

"Ningenkai, huh?" Hiei said to himself. Well, that was one place he hasn't searched. The little youkai walked toward the nearest portal and jumped through.

X X X X

Karasu was wearing a smile underneath his mask. The great Youko Kurama was worthy of his reputation indeed. He had just left the youko's suite, sated and very relaxed. He should do that more often.

The dark demon was having perverted thoughts float in his head all the way to Tarukane's estate. He was even replaying some of the images in his head. The youko's blood was so delicious. Karasu licked his lips. Once again, he grew excited. Karasu looked down and was mildly surprised. Again? After playing all through the night? My, my, Youko Kurama does leave a lasting impression.

The demon cooled himself down, now that he was approaching Tarukane's mansion. He most likely had a job to do if he was summoned. The petty demons guarding the entrance bowed before him and let him through the gates. It amused him so much that Tarukane would waste money on these insignificant bugs.

He slowly made his way up the grand staircase, his footsteps echoing through the manor. Then, he took the long walk down the hall into Tarukane's business room. Karasu used his mental ability to open the doors for him. His mind control wasn't that powerful, but it presented him as someone mysterious and fascinating.

"Always the grand entrance?" Toguro Ototo asked. Karasu gave him a seductive glance. Not interested, Toguro Ototo turned away.

"What took you so long?" Bui asked. Karasu looked at the armor-clad warrior. Why would someone with such a delicious body want to cover it up with that horrid metal?

"I was… preoccupied." Karasu answered.

"Well, all that matters is that you're here." Tarukane impatiently said.

"Yes, next time be here on time when our _employer_ calls." Toguro Ototo said. Karasu smirked under the mask, knowing full well they were only toying with Tarukane.

"What did you call me here for?" Karasu asked.

"Hee hee hee. It seems someone knows about out little secret project." Toguro Ani said.

"The ice maidens?" Karasu asked.

"Yes. Someone was asking about them." Toguro Ototo said.

"Who else knows about them but the people in this estate?" Bui asked.

"We know who talked. Roto." Tarukane revealed.

"Hmph. I knew we should have that little insect when we had the chance." Karasu stated.

"Nah. He's a useful worm at times. He told us who was searching for them. A demon named Hiei." Tarukane said.

"Who's that?" Karasu wondered.

"I know him. He's the Forbidden Child." Bui said.

"Yes. Here's a picture of him." Tarukane showed the group the photo.

"That's him? He looks so… angry and cold." Karasu's eyes narrowed. "And he's such an appealing bird. Those legs perched on that tree. He must be agile to move so swift from branch to branch. And that face…" Karasu wandered off. His finger was tracing the outline of Hiei's face through the photo.

"Stop it, Karasu. You're practically drooling." Bui said.

"Yeah, please." Tarukane added. "Look, I don't care how you guys do it. I just want him gone. If the other guys in the Black Black Club know I have these ice maidens, they're gonna want a piece of the profits too."

"Don't worry, I'll play with him." Karasu said. His eyes were trying to memorize Hiei's face, imagining it contorted in pain.

"Are you sure, Karasu? I don't care how much you play with him in the beginning, as long as you kill him in the end." Toguro Ototo said.

"Of course, but what fun is the kill if you can't enjoy the hunt?" Karasu asked.

"All right! Just kill him. And do it fast." Tarukane commanded.

"Fast? That's not how I work. Each game must be played perfectly." Karasu said.

"Well, you work for me now! So get it done fast!" Tarukane shouted. Karasu narrowed his eyes at him. He was starting to like this toad less and less. He was starting to miss their real employer, Sakyo. At least he was a pretty sight to look at. Those long black human locks of hair. It looks so smooth. He wouldn't have minded playing with him if Toguro would let him.

"Fine. I'm leaving now." Karasu announced. He walked out of the room, eagerly waiting to meet up with the Forbidden Child.

X X X X

Hiei landed face-first into the concrete ground of the human world. It wasn't one of his best landings. He grumbled and got to his feet. His red eyes scanned the human world, trying to perceive any dangers. He saw… nothing. It was an abandoned city. There were corroded buildings and rotting dead youkai. It seemed the Reikai was here.

The jaganshi explored the human city. He had only been to the human world once before, and that was when there were actually humans around. He stepped into a supermarket. The lights were flickering and rotting food filled his senses. His stomach growled. It had been weeks since he last ate something filling. Finding nothing useful, he left the store, looking for something animate.

The fire demon flitted to the top of the tallest skyscraper and opened his jagan. He searched for any signs of life, and saw that there was a little band of demons to the northwest of the city. Maybe they would know something.

Hiei ran to the group of demons. They were surprised to see him. They had never seen such a powerful demon before. They had minded their own business for a hundred years. The demons lived in seclusion and had wards on their entranceway to keep both demons and humans away.

"How did you find us?" a young demon asked. Hiei opened his jagan.

"An evil eye!" an elder said. "Be gone!"

"Why does my presence scare you? We are all demons, are we not?" Hiei asked.

"You! You are the epitome of evil! I know what you are. My eye sees more than you do! You are the Forbidden Child. Murderer and mercenary!" the elder said again.

Hiei felt a slight jab at his heart. Even this group of secluded demons knew who he was and feared him. Will he ever find companionship?

"Your… eye. What else does it see?" Hiei was focused on the glowing eye on the elder's forehead. He was blind, save for that one eye. It wasn't a jagan like his. It was something… stronger.

"I see all. Just because we haven't had contact with the outer worlds doesn't mean we don't know what goes on. We fled the Makai because we feared they would destroy us for our knowledge," the elder said.

"If you can see through people, then you'll know that I have no evil intention. I am just looking for someone important to me." Hiei felt vulnerable that he just divulged this information to these demons he just met.

The elder stayed quiet for a while, his eye glowing brighter. Then, he took a deep breath.

"I see… a young maiden. She is trapped. I can see her, but I don't know her location. There must be wards hiding her," he revealed.

That was useless. All he knew now was that using his jagan would be pointless. Hiei turned to leave.

"You should learn to soften your heart, child. Even someone as strong as you needs someone to ease your pain," the elder kindly said. After he looked into Hiei's heart, he knew that the jaganshi wasn't as evil as everyone delineated him to be.

"Kch. I need no one." Hiei stated. He roughly left the group. However, he knew that was a lie. Deep in his heart, he secretly wished that someone were there to mend his pain.

X X X X

Shuichi was angrily hiking through a grassy terrain. He was met with violent traps set by low class demons, which he barely escaped. He had bruises and lacerations over his body.

"Stupid Kurama! How dare you pick that demon over me?" Shuichi yelled into the forest. He finally stopped to rest. He sat down on an innocent looking log, only to have it suck him into its grasp. Now his butt was stuck in the log.

Shuichi gave out a frustrated yell. Stupid pranksters! He hated those demons with way too much time on their hands. The only way to get out of this was to set fire to the log. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have matches or a lighter. He kicked furiously, hoping the log would just let him go. His foot collided with something hard. He probed it with his foot. There were a bunch of rocks by the bottom of the log. Getting an idea, he tried to kick some of the rocks into his hands.

Knowing patience was essential if he wanted that rock, he tried to gracefully kick the rock into his hands. He put his foot under one and quickly kicked up towards himself, sending the rock into his grasp. Yes, now he just needed one more. He tried again, but sent the rock flying too far over his head. Damn it, now there was just one more rock left! He gently slipped his foot under this one, prayed it would go into his waiting hands, and kicked. It was coming, coming, yes! No! He juggled with it for a while, until it settled down into his palm. He breathed a sigh of relief. Now all he had to do was bang the rocks together, hoping they would form a spark. After a few tries, he finally got the rocks to hit at the right angle, and the log caught on fire.

The fire burned the cursed log, but some of his clothes as well. He dropped onto the ground and rolled around, putting the fire out. Now the grass was on fire; where the log previously was. Without thinking, Shuichi took out his water bottle and put the fire out.

That wasn't smart, now he had no water to drink from. Shuichi cried out once again. This is the worst day ever! He punched the tree nearby.

"My, my, aren't we the angry little rebel?" a voice said. Shuichi looked around. There was no one there.

"Up here, love," the voice said again. Shuichi tilted his head up. Standing on a branch was that demon he saw with Kurama. Fear seized his body again. What was he doing here?

Karasu smirked at the fear etched into the boy's face.

"What's Kurama's little pet doing so far away from him?" Karasu asked.

"What do you want?" Shuichi asked. The demon smiled at the human's bravery. His voice didn't even quiver when he spoke. Karasu jumped down from his high platform and slowly walked toward Shuichi.

The human backed up as the demon approached him. Then, his back met the trunk of a tree. Scared, he looked around, looking for an escape route. He turned to run, but Karasu put his arm by the side of Shuichi's head, preventing his escape.

"Why are you running away from me? I haven't done anything to you yet." Karasu said.

Shuichi never felt so scared in his entire life. Why did his body tremble so much? The demon wasn't even touching him. Not wanting to seem like a coward, the boy defiantly glared into the other demon's eyes. He couldn't see it, but Karasu was highly amused.

Karasu brought his other hand to run through Shuichi's soft red mane. The demon was thrilled by it. His hair was so smooth and silky, but so very fragile. The bright crimson color framed his face perfectly. Karasu brought a lock of hair to his mask. Although faint, it smelled like roses. Oh, this long hair gave him a hard-on.

"You have such beautiful hair." Karasu said.

It was a compliment, but at the time, Shuichi actually wished he were bald. Suddenly, Karasu pushed himself up against the boy, crushing him against the tree. Shuichi gave a little cry. That only aroused the dark demon more. His cries were so beautiful.

Shuichi tried to punch the demon, but he was too quick for him. Karasu quickly pinned both his arms over his head. With one had, he held the boy's wrists painfully, while the other traced a path down his arm and side. Shuichi couldn't help but shiver in disgust.

Karasu brought his hand back up and traced his jaw line, and then his lips. They were pink and very soft. Karasu gave a little growl. This creature was so entrancing.

Shuichi felt Karasu hardening against him and he wanted to puke. The demon then wedged his finger in through those cherry lips, only to have Shuichi bite him back. He was annoyed at the sharp pain. Feisty.

The demon wanted to take off his mask and taste him, like he did Kurama, but this human probably wouldn't survive if he did so. Deciding he let the human breathe enough, he brought his hand to the boy's throat.

Immediately, Shuichi's breath caught in his throat. He knew something horrible was going to happen. Karasu's fingers gently rubbed themselves around his smooth milky throat, and then clutched then tightly, choking the boy. Shuichi fought to breathe, trying to push his captor off, but to no avail. After a full minute, Karasu finally let him go. Shuichi was grateful to take deep breaths. He was surprised the demon hadn't crushed his larynx. Then, he suddenly choked and spit out blood.

Karasu was so thrilled that he finally elicited blood from this beautiful creature. He was greatly tempted to lick up that blood. He used his index and middle finger to scrape up Shuichi's blood from his coat and traced it over the boy's lips. There was still blood on the boy's tongue and chin. The temptation was too great. Karasu removed his mask.

Shuichi watched in fascination as the demon's hair turned from black to yellow. Then, he opened his mouth, and Shuichi felt like his life was being sucked out of him. Karasu darted his tongue out to lick the blood from his chin and then closed his mouth over Shuichi's, relishing the sweet taste of his blood. Shuichi tried to force him out, but it was no use.

Then, Shuichi felt something explode to his left. A bomb? Another explosion, this time near his right shoulder. Finally, a bomb went off by his right leg. His scream was muffled into Karasu's mouth. Karasu's hand was placed over his chest, and Shuichi felt a warm sensation building. Then, Karasu released the bomb and Shuichi cried into Karasu's mouth. The explosion wasn't enough to kill him, only draw blood. His organs were still functioning, although a little damaged. Shuichi coughed mouthfuls of blood into Karasu's eagerly waiting mouth. He greedily drank up every drop. When Shuichi was no longer throwing up blood, Karasu let him go and he dropped to the floor.

The boy was wheezing.

"K-Kurama." Shuichi pathetically cried. Karasu gave an evil laugh.

"Kurama? He's nowhere around here. There's no one to save you now." Karasu cruelly said. "You're mine."

Shuichi deeply regretted ever leaving Kurama. Even if he didn't love him, Kurama always kept him safe. How stupid could he have been to think he could survive in a world full of demons?

Karasu looked at the limp figure on the ground. Blood was surrounding his body, soaking his hair. It was such a wonderful sight. The demon removed his clothes, eagerly wanting to sink himself into that innocent flesh.

Shuichi saw what Karasu was up to and feebly tried to get away. Karasu laughed at this and wrestled one hand behind Shuichi's back. He cried out again. Karasu tore off whatever remained of Shuichi's clothes. His eyes raked in the sight of the boy's porcelain skin stained with blood. His once perfect flesh was now burned and torn in certain places. Karasu started to salivate.

The demon pushed Shuichi onto his chest, which hurt him like hell. He screamed in agony. Karasu licked his lips, saliva now dripping onto Shuichi's skin. Karasu pulled on Shuichi's hair, pulling his head back so he could see the boy's pained face. It was a picture he carved into his mind. He straddled the boy's waist and pulled his head towards him.

"I'm surprised Kurama would let something as sweet as you go untouched for so long. Hm. Maybe as a thank you for such a great night I had with him, I'll send your dead body back to him as a gift." Karasu whispered into his ear.

"NO!" Shuichi cried. He didn't want Kurama to see him like this. Then, Karasu moved back to spread his thighs to proceed to rape the boy.

"Karasu!" a voice boomed. Karasu stopped what he was doing and turned to the owner of the voice.

"What are you doing?" the voice asked.

"Can't you tell? I'm just having some fun." Karasu replied.

"Karasu…" the voice warned. Shuichi couldn't see who it was, but the fact that Karasu stopped meant that demon was more powerful than he was.

"I knew I couldn't depend on you to finish the job. You get distracted too easily," the other voice said.

"Wouldn't you get distracted by this?" Karasu moved and pulled Shuichi's hair so the other demon could get a look at him and he could see the other demon. He was very tall, had an olive coat and thin black sunglasses.

"If you want, we could share him." Karasu offered. Shuichi was filled with horror. Karasu noticed this and couldn't help but smile.

"I don't have the same sick taste you do. Stop it, now," the other demon ordered.

"Let me just finish what I started…" Karasu implored.

The other demon didn't answer, but Karasu suddenly let his hair go and he got off the boy. Something must have scared Karasu off. Karasu put on his clothes on and unwillingly left the boy on the ground.

X X X X

Hiei walked around the outskirts of the city. There was nothing but dead vegetation. He needed to be pointed in the right direction by demons that actually knew what went on in the Ningenkai. His jagan was open. He knew it wouldn't help him find his sister, but maybe he could find some powerful demons.

He sensed some weak demons further to the west. They probably didn't know anything. Then, for the first time in a while, his jagan saw a human. He had long red hair and lively green eyes. He was beautiful… but stupid. He saw the human sit in a trap log. He amusedly watched the boy try to get out, and then watch him set a fire, and put it out.

Hiei was about to turn his focus somewhere else, when a demon approached the boy. There was something foreboding about this demon. He was masking his power, like Hiei was. Yes, this was just the kind of demon he was looking for. Someone like him should know what goes on in the Ningenkai.

Hiei started to run in that direction, but it was pretty far off. As he ran towards the demon and human, he saw the events that transpired. It disgusted him. Yes, that demon probably knew where Yukina might be. He had to know the other elite humans and demons in the Ningenkai. As he watched what happened, it angered him that Yukina might have undergone the same torture so she could shed hiruiseki. Now, he was more determined to get a hold of that demon.

However, when he reached the destination, that demon was already gone. How could that have happened? He only shut his jagan for a few minutes to mask his youki. He opened his jagan again to search for that demon, but he was gone. That youkai must have been powerful if he could escape the jagan's sight within a few minutes. Dejected, he wanted to search for him, but a moan stopped him.

Lying on the ground was the injured human he saw before. His body was in such a horrid state. There was blood everywhere. The human was naked, so he could see his injuries. Hiei was surprised the human hasn't died yet. He didn't feel obligated to help the human, but he did pity him. Maybe he could end his misery quickly. Hiei unsheathed his katana and brought it so it rested about a foot over Shuichi's head.

"I don't do this to be cruel, but it'll end your misery." Hiei said. Hiei had never killed a defenseless being before, but he felt this would be better for the human. Hiei raised his sword a little and prepared to bring it down.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

A/N: Cruel, aren't I?


	3. Proposal

A/N: Procrastination and laziness is my biggest enemy.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Hiei prepared to bring his sword down, when something caught his eye. Besides the human's pool of blood was a little shiny object. It was small and round. It almost looked like… a hiruiseki! Hiei forgot about killing the human and picked up the gem. Yes, it was a hiruiseki. But whose was it? The demon's or the human's?

He looked at the now unconscious human and decided that he would be better use to him alive than dead. He took off his cloak and put it around the naked body. Hiei carefully carried the body, but the boy still gave a pained moan. The fire demon decided that he would take him back to the abandoned city. There were abandoned houses and bandages there. He tried to get there before the human lost too much blood.

X X X X

By the time Hiei reached the empty city, Shuichi's blood had soaked Hiei's cloak and his breathing had become irregular.

Hiei entered a fairly decent house and set the human down on a bed. He then proceeded to rip his cloak into strips to bandage the wounds. When Shuichi was no longer bleeding so profusely, Hiei rampaged the house in search of medicine. He found bandages and antiseptic wipes. The jaganshi removed the crude bandages and replaced them with clean ones. When he saw that the injury on his chest was still bleeding, he opened his jagan and manipulated the skin so it would heal faster. It drained Hiei of most his energy and Shuichi's chest was still injured, but the bleeding stopped. Hiei collapsed on the bed next to him in exhaustion.

'Since when have I done this much for anyone else, much less a human?' Hiei asked himself. As sleep was overcoming the little demon, he told himself that it was because the human might have known who his attacker was.

X X X X

A few hours later, Hiei slowly opened his ruby eyes. His nose detected a potent smell. 'Blood?'

He sat up on the bed and saw the still unconscious human. The blood stopped flowing, but it was still drenched in the sheets. It had also started to dry and it was now sticking onto the fire demon.

Hiei moved closer to the youth to check his condition. His breathing was faint, but regular and his wounds have closed up. However, in the state he was in, it would probably take days until he woke up, and the little demon was too impatient to wait. The fire demon left the house and searched the city. He was sure he saw a human pharmacy when he was exploring earlier.

After a few minutes, Hiei located the store and went inside. 'Dammit, why'd I even come in? I can't read this shit.' Hiei thought. He browsed through the aisles, futilely looking at the different varieties of medicines. Giving up, he blew up the store in anger.

As he walked outside, a group of demons accosted him. It was obvious from their dress and posture that they were thieves and vagabonds. 'Weak thieves,' Hiei noted as they tried to intimidate him with poorly crafted weapons.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?" one of them shouted. Ignoring them, Hiei turned away, but a knife whizzed by his hair. Irritated, Hiei turned around.

"He was talking to you, asshole!" another one cried.

"Medicine." Hiei simply said.

"Huh?" a particularly stupid looking one said.

"If you tell me where I can find strong Makai medicine, I'll let you live." Hiei said.

They all broke into a cacophony of laughter.

"Who do you think you're talking to, midget? This is our turf!" the first one said. Annoyed at the stinging remark, Hiei killed half the group with ease. When the others realized what he had done, they backed away.

"We-we were just joking," one said.

"Y-yeah, there's a market full of Makai goods three miles west of here," another said. Without a second glance, Hiei headed off to the west, opening his jagan to locate the market.

Hiei found the place with ease. When the demons saw him, most shrank back in fear when they saw the dried blood on him. His eyes found the stand for medicine and bought a potent mixture that healed wounds.

The jaganshi returned to the house, eager for the human to talk.

Hiei dropped the medicine on the floor and headed to the bathroom. He filled it up with warm water and then placed the human in it. The blood was washed away. Then he lifted the youth and placed him back on the bed, this time with new sheets. He applied the balm onto the wounds. The medicine was meant for demons, but putting them on human flesh would make the boy heal faster.

After waiting a few minutes, Shuichi still hadn't woken up. Agitated, Hiei went to take a shower.

The blood was now gone and Hiei felt refreshed. It had been a while since he cleaned himself. Once again, Hiei checked up on the human to see that he was still unconscious.

'ARGH! Is he dead? How long do humans take to heal?' Hiei angrily thought. He looked over the gashes, seeing that they were now all scabs. 'Why isn't he waking up?'

Hiei's eyes were now taking in his face. The human's lips were very dry.

'Maybe water will wake him up.' Hiei went into the kitchen and found a cup. He filled it up with water and brought it back to the bed. He poured the water into his mouth, but Shuichi wasn't swallowing it. He then took a mouthful of water and put his mouth over the human's. He used his tongue to move Shuichi's so the water would travel down his throat. Hiei was about to pull back when Shuichi suddenly moved his tongue against Hiei's. Surprised, he didn't move. Shuichi was greedily trying to drink up all the water from Hiei's mouth.

When Shuichi's brain registered that there was no more water, he opened his eyes, alarmed to see this other person on top of him. Scared, he pushed Hiei away from him. He looked down to see that he was naked. Embarrassed and infuriated, he pulled the sheets around him, glaring at Hiei.

"What were you doing to me?" Shuichi asked. Hiei had gotten back onto his feet and regained his thoughts.

"I was just giving you water." Hiei plainly said. Shuichi remembered the cool liquid going down his throat and was embarrassed that he was actually the one that started to kiss him.

"Why was I naked?" Shuichi asked.

Hiei glared at him. As if he would touch a human being… "You were hurt. I healed you so I could ask you some questions." Hiei explained rationally. The events started to surface in his head and Shuichi remembered what happened between him and that demon that was with Kurama. He unconsciously pulled the sheets tighter around his body, remembering what happened.

Hiei saw the dark look on his face and decided that he shouldn't ask why he was in that area.

"Human." Hiei tried to get his attention. Shuichi was snapped out of his thoughts and his eyes focused on Hiei. His eyes started to water, and he looked away.

"You saw me like that?" Shuichi asked softly. He was so ashamed.

"Hn. Who was he?" Hiei asked. Shocked at the lack of sympathy, Shuichi glared at him.

"Your attacker, who was he?" Hiei asked again, voice getting higher. He had just spent hours trying to heal him and now he won't even talk? Maybe a threat will get him to speak. Hiei approached him and Shuichi shrank back, trying to move away from him. Hiei was now next to him on the bed with arms on either side of Shuichi's head.

Shuichi remembered that the other demon had done the same thing. He started to breathe faster and his body trembled. Hiei saw the reaction and knew that if he hurt him, the stupid human would probably pass out. He backed off. Instead, he took out the hiruiseki that he found next to the human. Shuichi blankly looked at it.

"This isn't yours, right?" Hiei asked.

"No." Shuichi quietly answered.

"Then it probably belongs to the demon that attacked you. If you tell me who he is, I'll find that demon and kill him." Hiei said. Shuichi's eyes then stared into Hiei's.

"Why?" Shuichi asked. Hiei didn't feel like sharing his deepest secret about his long-lost sister.

"He stole something from me." Hiei lied. Shuichi tried to remember all that he could about his attacker…

"Karasu." Shuichi said. Hiei raised an eyebrow at him. "His name is Karasu. At least, that's what the other demon called him."

"Other demon?" Hiei asked.

"Yes. He had sunglasses and an olive coat." Shuichi said. This surprised Hiei. There was another demon, yet he couldn't sense his presence. He must be powerful. Satisfied with the information, he turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Shuichi asked.

"To look for Karasu." Hiei said. Shuichi looked around the room.

"Where is my bag?"

"I don't know. I just carried you here." Hiei said. Then, he disappeared.

X X X X

Karasu followed Toguro, knowing that there was probably going to be punishment. They were at Tarukane's mansion, descending into the basement. Karasu knew it led to the torture chambers. Being sent to the dungeon just for being distracted? How unfair. Karasu wanted to ask why they were going down there, but knew Toguro wouldn't respond.

After what seemed like forever, Toguro stopped before a door and opened it so he could go in. He wasn't going in first, which meant he wasn't going in at all. Karasu gave him a questioning look, but Toguro avoided looking at him. Finally, he went inside.

Tarukane was waiting for him. In his hand, he held a little pouch. Karasu recognized the pouch; it was his. Inside of it were hiruiseki. He had been stealing a few so he could enter high-end clubs and meet virile creatures like Youko Kurama.

"You've been stealing from me. However, I've decided that instead of killing you, I'll have you work it back for me." Tarukane said. Then he stepped aside to reveal Yukina. She sat quietly in a chair, eyes staring off into space.

"This ice-maiden isn't crying. I've tried torture and beatings. Nothing works! If you get tear-gems from her, I'll let you go back to whatever you were doing." Tarukane said.

Behind his mask, Karasu licked his lips.

"However, if you don't get her to cry, I'll let the Toguro brothers deal with you." Tarukane said. Karasu glared at the toad and then moved closer to Yukina.

"I'll get you your tear-gems."

Tarukane smirked and then walked out of the dungeon. Toguro locked Karasu in.

X X X X

Hiei's was jumping from tree to tree, near where he found the human. Sensing danger, he changed direction and jumped off to the side. A huge axe was brought down where he was previously standing.

Hiei took in his attacker. He looked intimidating with heavy armor on. However, Hiei knew that the armor wasn't there to protect him; it was to conceal his youki. The other demon lifted his axe back with ease and looked at Hiei. The jaganshi knew that he was also trying to read his power. Suddenly, the demon dropped his axe.

"You are much stronger than you appear." He spoke. Hiei put his hand on his katana. To his surprise, his attacker removed all his armor. The demon looked like a fit fighter without his armor.

"Who are you?" Hiei asked. Demons have randomly attacked him before, but none like the one in front of him. This one was strong.

"I am Bui. I have nothing against you; it is just my job." He said. Then, he jumped and thrust his right fist into Hiei's face. Hiei barely dodged. The fire demon back-flipped and landed onto a tree branch, but Bui quickly caught up. He kneed Hiei right in the stomach, sending him flying back.

Hiei collected his thoughts and quickly moved to dodge Bui's attack. The forest was becoming less dense thanks to the duo's fight. Both were extremely quick with their attacks, each barely dodging the other's assault. Hiei tried to slice Bui when his back was turned, but he caught Hiei's katana and broke it in half.

Hiei retreated a few feet from him and looked at his sword. It had served him well for so long. It unnerved him that this demon was able to break it so easily. The jaganshi tossed the broken blade aside and removed his headband. Bui smirked when he saw the jagan. He had been holding back as well.

Both recognized the other's true power. Bui got into a meditative stance, and after a few seconds, waves of youki flared from his body. He was now quicker and stronger than before. Hiei released the bandages on his right arm and let the dark flames consume him. Bui, however, didn't wait for Hiei to complete his summoning and attacked him with merciless punches to his midsection. Hiei didn't block the attack. Bui then switched to throwing Hiei around and catching him with a kick to his head. He repeated this several times until Hiei went crashing to the ground.

Bui landed on the ground with grace and smirked at the fallen demon. He approached the motionless body. Bui was a little disappointed though; he was hoping for something more challenging. As he was about to bring his fist through Hiei's head, a huge burst of black flames sent Bui flying back. If Bui had been paying attention to Hiei's arm, he would have seen that the dragon was disappearing from his limb and absorbing Bui's attack.

Hiei was completely consumed by the dark flames and thrust his right arm forward, releasing the dragon. It roared as it went right for Bui and snatched him up with its teeth. The sky turned into a mixture of red and black swirls, reflecting the power and anger of the dragon.

Bui was still trying to hold the dragon back, barely able to keep it from consuming him. Hiei was surprised that he could resist the dragon's fury for so long. It had circled above Hiei and was returning to its master, with Bui still alive. Bui turned to see that the dragon was heading back to Hiei and when he was close enough to the fire demon, he pushed himself away from the dragon. The dark creature consumed Hiei.

After the smoke and wind died down, Bui saw that Hiei was no longer there. He thought he claimed victory, when he heard crackling behind him. He knew it was Hiei without even looking. He summoned the last of his strength into his fist and turned to punch Hiei, but it was too late. Hiei's blood red eyes were the last he saw before he felt a sharp heat in his chest.

X X X X

The next day, Shuichi had found his way back to where the trap log had lain. His bag was still there, but his eyes were looking somewhere else. A few feet from the burnt wood was a pool of dried blood, Shuichi's blood. His mind played back his assault and his body involuntarily shuddered. He felt so cold and dirty. He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to feel warm.

As he clutched himself, he realized he had no scars. In fact, there was no pain at all. The strange demon that had found him healed him well.

Shuichi continued to stare at the blood, unable to move or speak. Never had he missed Kurama so much. However, as he thought about Kurama, he thought of Karasu, of them together. He felt sick again and wanted to puke.

However, Shuichi forced himself to turn around. He took deep breaths and finally retrieved his bag. He walked away and didn't turn back.

He kept walking until he cleared the forest, but walked into a dreary territory. It was foggy and the vegetation was dead. It occurred to him that he had no idea where he was going. He set out to be individual and to find someone who loved him. Shuichi realized what a stupid mistake he had made. He felt lost and very afraid.

Shuichi heard a stream nearby. He walked toward it, hoping to take several gulps of water and wash his face. However, when he got to the stream, he saw that the water was muddy and not potable. He sighed in frustration and sat down by the stream. The youth tried to formulate a plan as to what to do next. But before he could clear his mind, something collapsed onto the stream. It startled Shuichi and he took out his whip.

The "thing" moaned and Shuichi could smell blood. Shuichi brought his whip up, in a defensive stance. He tried to get a closer look, but strident laughter caught his ears. Coming a few feet behind whatever collapsed was a group of thieves.

"I knew we'd get that bastard back!"

"Heh! I say we cut him up and set him on fire."

"No! Rip off his nails one by one and then break the bones in his body, one by one."

The others suggested other cruel methods of torture, but Shuichi ignored them and looked at what was lying in the stream. He summoned up his courage and carefully approached and saw that it was Hiei. He was beat up and it seemed he was now unconscious.

One of the thieves noticed Shuichi's presence.

"Hey! Fuck off. We got to him first," he shouted. When Shuichi looked up, the thieves cracked up in laughter.

"Hey human, get lost unless you want to become our dinner."

Shuichi surveyed the group and concluded that these bumbling morons couldn't have hurt Hiei that much. They definitely weren't strong. Shuichi ignored them and bent down to pick up the unconscious demon. He lifted him from the dirty water and set him down onto the ground.

"Human! What the fuck do you think you're doing? That's it, you're dinner tonight," the thief said. Shuichi shot him a dirty glare and brought his whip in front of him. The demons laughed at him. Shuichi wasn't intimidated. He had faced stronger opponents when traveling with Kurama.

With speed and grace, Shuichi swung the whip at the group. The leather was lined with sharp, strong metal thorns, so it cut some of them in half. They screamed in pain. The others tried to catch the human, but he easily escaped their clumsy grasp and proceeded to cut off more body parts. His skill with the whip surprised and scared the demons. The thieves that still had their bodies intact did the smart thing and ran away.

Shuichi remained alert for a few more minutes, making sure they weren't preparing a counterattack. After making sure they were gone, he coiled up the whip and tied it to his belt. He walked over to Hiei to quickly check his wounds. Surprisingly, they weren't so egregious. The thieves didn't seem able to maim Hiei that much. What worried Shuichi was the third eye in his forehead. It seemed glazed over.

The human shook Hiei gently to try to wake him up. When he didn't respond, Shuichi carried him back toward the forest. For some reason, he felt safer among live vegetation.

On the border between the forest and the dark, dreary land was a dried tree that had a huge hollow trunk. Shuichi decided they could stay there for that night. He put his bag and Hiei down and rolled out a sleeping bag. He wasn't used to sleeping out in the wild alone. Shuichi removed Hiei's clothes and checked him again for more wounds. There was nothing life threatening, but Hiei was still unconscious. Shuichi had a feeling it had something to do with the third eye. However, he was too tired to do anything else, so he decided he would check up on Hiei again in the morning. He pulled out his extra blanket and covered Hiei with it.

He took off his sweater and pants and crawled into the bag. Just as he was about to drift off into sleep, his stomach gave a loud grumble. He moaned at his hunger. He would have to find something to eat tomorrow morning.

X X X X

A cool gust of wind blew into the hollow trunk, causing the human to shrink back into his sleeping bag. The sun had started to rise, its dim light grazing Shuichi's eyes. He groaned and flipped over in the bag. He heard a moan by him and slowly opened his eyes. When Hiei's face came into focus, Shuichi panicked and jerked up. He quickly surveyed his environment and remembered that he had put Hiei next to him before he fell asleep. The demon was still sleeping. The fact that he had moaned before meant that the demon was still alive. This seemed to cheer the boy up. He got up, stretched, and put on more clothes. His stomach gave a loud rumble.

"Damn." Shuichi muttered and rubbed his stomach. He was unused to being hungry. The human dug through his traveling pack only to discover that he had no food left. He sighed and then grabbed his whip. He wanted to make sure he didn't end up being someone else's food. He glanced back at Hiei to see that he was still unconscious and then went off in search of food.

He hiked into the forest, finding edible berries and other fruits. After walking in a little deeper, he found a stream. Shuichi looked at the water to see that it was clear. He got on his knees and scooped up a few handfuls of water to his mouth and drank greedily. Next, he washed his face and then washed the fruits.

He felt refreshed and sat down for a few minutes to ponder what to do next. His mind went over what he went through the past few days and he felt depressed. He never expected living on his own would be so hard. Maybe he could run back to Kurama now and apologize…

No, he couldn't do that. His pride wouldn't let him. 'I'll prove to him that I don't need him… just like he doesn't need me,' Shuichi thought sadly. That last thought sent a sharp jab to his heart.

"Kurama," Shuichi whispered. He lay down on the grass, the smell sending waves of nostalgia through his body. He curled his fingers through the fresh vegetation, remembering how much he loved to lie in his guardian's arms on the open plains. He remembered chasing Kurama's soft, bushy tail as a child. The memories stung. He brought his hands to his eyes and tried to suppress the sobs coming from his heart.

"Kurama… I love you." His lone confession went unheard. A tear broke through his shaky façade.

X X X X

Hiei's jagan had healed itself by mid-morning. His body recovered enough youki so that his conscious mind alerted the rest of his body to wake up. Instantly, his hand went to his belt to reach for the hilt of his katana. When his rough fingers did not feel the familiar sword, his ruby eyes snapped open. He flitted to one side of the trunk and his eyes darted dangerously at his surroundings. When he perceived there was no danger, his body relaxed and he felt the wounds from his previous battle. His muscles were extremely sore and he felt pain all over his body. He grunted and fell onto the ground.

He hit a soft blanket and he then realized that there was a sleeping bag in the tree with him. He cautiously examined the bag and determined that someone had spent the night with him. But who? He felt no traces of demon energy and one sniff told him that it was a human. As he was pondering who it could be, he felt someone walking in his direction.

Hiei hid in the shadows and as the person walked into the trunk, Hiei tackled him to the ground, easily holding his arms behind his back. The person yelled and tried to shove Hiei off of him. Hiei instantly recognized Shuichi's bright red hair and loosened his hold on him, but still not letting go.

"Ow! Hey! Let go!" Shuichi yelled. He struggled again, but Hiei kept his hold on the boy.

"You! What are you doing here?" Hiei asked.

"Me? I carried you here! I fought off those low class demons. And I kept you warm at night!" Shuichi cried. 'How dare he!' Shuichi thought.

"Kept me warm…?" Hiei asked. Shuichi's firm, plump butt was rubbing against him in an erotic manner when he struggled. The fact that Hiei woke up naked led his thoughts in a perverted direction.

"Yeah! I gave you a blanket at night," Shuichi huffed. Not liking his body's reaction to the human, Hiei quickly let him go. He sat down and covered his lower body with the blanket. Shuichi was too angry to notice his effect on Hiei.

For a while, they just stared at each other. Shuichi calmed down and Hiei's body cooled down. Hiei was the first to break the silence.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"What was I supposed to do? Leave you there with those demons? I had to pay you back for saving me earlier," Shuichi said.

Hiei vaguely remembered running into the rogue demons after his fight with Bui.

"They were nothing," Hiei brushed off. "I would have killed them once I recovered."

"They could have killed you before then. It's not hard to kill a motionless doll." Instantly, Shuichi regretted saying that when Hiei fixed him with an evil glare.

"I don't need your help," Hiei said plainly. Shuichi could see that Hiei was very stubborn. He picked up the fruit he dropped when Hiei tackled him and tossed a few to Hiei. Hiei looked at it blankly and turned away. Shuichi was fuming over the arrogance of this demon, when his eyes noticed the wounds and bruises on the demon's back and arms. Shuichi took a few medicinal herbs from his bag and ground them into a cream. As he reached over to spread the medicine over Hiei's wounds, the fire demon caught his hand, shoved him to the ground, and straddled his waist.

"Stop attacking me!" Shuichi yelled.

"What are you doing?"

"Putting medicine on your wounds, what else?" Hiei's nose detected the herbs and let go of the youth's wrist.

"I told you, I don't need your help."

"If you don't treat them right away, they'll get infected and leave scars," Shuichi chastised.

"So what? What's a few more to those I already have?" Shuichi's eyes roamed over Hiei's body, noticing a large scar on his chest, and a few on his arms. He also noticed that Hiei was straddling him while he was naked. His face turned bright red and he averted his eyes to the side.

"P-put some clothes on!" Shuichi said. Hiei smirked at how easily he got embarrassed. He got off the human and found his pants. He put them on and was prepared to leave when he felt a cool, smooth sensation on his back. He turned around to see that the human once again had the medicine in his hands.

"Are you deaf? I don't –"

"Need my help. I know. But… scars are something that should always be avoided, right? Skin loses its elasticity and it makes it harder to fight." Shuichi repeated what Kurama had told him. Except in Kurama's case, it was because scars mar the beauty of the skin.

Hiei took the medicine from Shuichi and put it on his own wounds.

"I can put it on myself."

After Hiei applied the cream to all the wounds he could reach, he was amazed at how fast his wounds closed. While distracted by his wounds, Hiei didn't sense Shuichi behind him and applying the cream to the rest of his back.

Hiei knocked his hands away and glared at the human. It seemed he was just as stubborn as him.

"Human… aren't you scared of me?" Hiei asked.

Shuichi smirked and stood to his full height.

"Why should I be? I'm taller than you." He stood with his chest out and head high.

The slightest hint of a smile was etched on Hiei's face. This human was certainly different.

Shuichi looked at Hiei and smiled. He didn't know why he did it, he just felt happy. Then, he felt a little anxious as Hiei's eyes bore into his own. He didn't look away; he stared right back.

"Human, where are you headed?" Shuichi seemed to ask himself this question.

"I'm just a wanderer. I have nowhere in particular to go." Shuichi's eyes looked away from Hiei's. Even without the full use of his jagan, Hiei could tell Shuichi was lying. The human wasn't tough enough to survive on his own for this long, and his clothes were too fancy for traveling.

"I'm still looking for Karasu. Want to watch me kill him?" Hiei proposed.

At the mention of Karasu's name, Shuichi's body grew cold. He was suddenly reminded of everything that could go wrong if he were to continue to travel by himself. He didn't want to be alone anymore.

"Sure. And by the way, my name is Shuichi."

"Hn."

"What's your name?" Shuichi asked. It's been a while since someone didn't ask this disdainfully or just refer to him as the "Forbidden Child."

"Hiei."

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

A/N: Reviews make me write faster. Ok, I lied. I just like reviews. On another note, I've received criticisms that Shuichi is a little immature. Well, he's fifteen and had lived a pretty sheltered life with Kurama. Don't worry, he'll grow up and mature after spending a few weeks with Hiei.


	4. Search

A/N: I'm very depressed. So few reviews for the last chapter… Was it that bad? Anyway, I would like to thank those that did review:

Jaded Soul: Thank you for reviewing! And yes, who doesn't love scenes with Hiei and Shuichi.

Birth Stained Scarlet: I dub you my number one fan. Thanks for all your reviews since my first story! It's devoted readers like you that make me want to write more. Yay for reviewers that give me feedback.

angel of darkness flame: Another loyal reviewer! Nice to know you love the story.

Kurama's Fox: I'm trying to write as fast as i can. I was aiming for updating once every week, but that's impossible, so I try to update once every two weeks now. Sorry for the wait.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Kurama deeply inhaled the cigarette, lightly held between his fingers. Nicotine didn't have any effect on demons, but smoking helped calm him down. It was an annoying habit he picked up when he hung out with humans. Kurama glanced at the young creature on his bed, tired after many rounds of fucking.

His eyes traced the outlines of the youth's body. He had little ears popping out from his head and long red hair that fanned out on the pillow. He was laid on his side with his arms curled in his chest. A thin sheet was wrapped haphazardly around his lithe body, revealing some of his porcelain skin.

Kurama couldn't help thinking about Shuichi. Everything reminded him of the boy lately. The fox moved off the bed and walked onto the balcony. The cool wind blew lightly against his skin as the moonlight bathed his body. He didn't care about walking out in the open naked.

His golden eyes raked in the sight. The moon was shining brightly and the stars were twinkling in the clear night sky. It was a beautiful night. Kurama sighed and tossed the cigarette off the balcony. No matter how beautiful it was outside, how beautiful a demon was, how great sex was, or how thrilling a heist was, he couldn't forget about one thing.

"Shuichi." Kurama said. He crossed his arms and glared angrily at nothing in particular. It had been four weeks since he discovered Shuichi disappeared. He was not only mad that Shuichi ran away, but that he had discovered a weakness in Kurama's plants. The youko looked up at the moon, as if looking for guidance.

He had looked for Shuichi the morning after he ran away. He pursued his trail and was horrified to see a pool of the boy's blood. Kurama asked around to see if Shuichi was seen alive anywhere. The youko was surprised to find out that the boy was seen with another demon. He was told that Shuichi didn't seem to be a captive and seemed to think with a rational mind.

"Stupid, stubborn brat. Why haven't you come back yet?" Kurama whispered. Shuichi had run away before, but he had always come back. Kurama had never done anything to make Shuichi so mad before. Four weeks was a little too long to make a point. He knew that the boy was a teenager and was going to start acting out, but he didn't think he would be gone for so long.

'Has he run away for good?' Kurama thought. He knew he should give the human some space, but after this long, he was starting to worry. 'He can take care of himself,' Kurama tried to convince himself. He knew that was a lie. Kurama knew how dangerous the real world was. He thrived on it, but didn't want Shuichi exposed to it. Now he regretted sheltering the boy too much. He wondered who the other demon was. None of the demons who lurked in the Ningenkai seemed to know who he was.

"Kurama?" a voice asked. The youko turned around to see that his newest playmate had woken up. His eyes were half-lidded.

"What's wrong?" the demon asked. Kurama then realized that his youki had rose while he was thinking of Shuichi. The fox smirked at him and then walked seductively over to the bed. While the demon had woken up, the sheet that was barely covering anything had slipped off.

Kurama reached for his hair and twirled the red locks around his fingers. 'It's not as soft as Shuichi's,' he thought. Kurama gave the other demon a playful grin and pulled his head back by the hair. The demon gasped.

"Naughty demon. You interrupted my thoughts. Now I'll have to punish you." Kurama whispered into his ear. The other demon felt something slither up his limbs and was surprised when the vines tied him down to the bed and spread him. He was even more worried when he saw that Kurama was holding a menacing looking whip. Kurama was going to take out his anger with Shuichi on the not-so-innocent demon.

X X X X

The rain was harshly pouring down on the traveling companions. The fire demon was quickly jumping from tree to tree; trying to escape the wrath of the cold, wet bullets. His eyes darted to his right, where the main road was. The jaganshi was surprised to see that the human was not far behind. However, he could see that the boy was breathing harder, getting tired from running after him all the time.

Hiei had purposely slowed down his pace so that the boy could see him. He knew that Shuichi couldn't keep up with him at his usual speed. The fire demon was surprised that the human never complained every time Hiei pushed him to run faster or jump higher. It was almost like the boy was determined on proving something to himself. Shuichi was physically fit before he met Hiei, but after four weeks in the wild with a temperamental fire demon, Shuichi had toughed up.

The wind picked up and the branches started to sway, slowing Hiei down a little. The fire demon stopped and dropped off onto the main road. Shuichi caught up with him in a few minutes. He was panting.

"There's a city up ahead. We can rest there." Hiei said.

"No, it's okay. I can keep going." Shuichi panted. Although he wouldn't admit it, Hiei was impressed at how strong-willed the youth was.

"Don't overwork yourself. Everyone needs to rest." Hiei stated curtly. Before Shuichi could counter with a remark, Hiei flitted ahead of him, disappearing in a flash. Shuichi frowned, knowing that Hiei was now playing his least favorite game, hide and seek. Hiei would pick a difficult to reach location, and Shuichi would have to find him, or else Hiei would leave Shuichi to survive by himself for a few days.

Shuichi could find his own food, make his own shelter, and protect himself against weak demons. He did all this when he traveled with Kurama, but Kurama was always there to keep him company. Hiei's survival test forced Shuichi to deal with the psychological aspects of surviving alone. The jaganshi knew that Shuichi's biggest fear was being left alone. Shuichi had the sneaking suspicion that Hiei was trying to turn him into a hunter.

And now, Hiei had disappeared into the city. Shuichi has learned by now that Hiei usually picked somewhere far away from humans, in a dry place, and usually dark. It took about half an hour for Shuichi to reach the city. He was surprised to discover that it was populated by humans and non-flesh-eating demons. This was the first time in a while that Shuichi even saw another human being. However, he knew he didn't have time to fraternize. He had to find the fire demon or risk being left alone again. The time Hiei allowed him to find the demon got shorter each time and the time Hiei left Shuichi alone got longer each time Shuichi failed to find him. The second time Hiei left him, Shuichi was about to call it quits and just find another path, but his pride wouldn't let him be beat by a midget demon!

Shuichi guessed that he had about another half hour left before Hiei would disappear and return probably a week later if he didn't find him. He took in the surroundings and concluded that the center of the city was populated with humans and demons alike. Hiei had to be somewhere on the outskirts of the city, but where? Shuichi found an avenue that ran through the outside of the city. He walked along the streets, eliminated brightly lit stores. He knew Hiei wouldn't be on top of any of the buildings, like he might normally be, because it was raining outside. His eyes passed a dark and rundown building. Hiei liked abandoned warehouses…

After wasting ten minutes searching the place, he couldn't find him. He spent 15 minutes walking along the avenue. There were probably only a few minutes left for him to find Hiei. Shuichi cursed and slammed his fist against the wall. The recoil stung. His nose started to run from the rain and cold and the sniffled. He didn't want to be alone for a week. He crouched down beside the wall of the abandoned building and he felt something sting inside his heart. 'Why do I keep playing these games with him? Why don't I just go back to Ku-' Shuichi stopped his thoughts. 'If he hasn't found me by now, he must have never really cared for me…' the boy thought.

A flash of lightning lit up the sky and thunder roared loudly. This jerked Shuichi out of his depressed state. That's when he saw the small, dimly lit inn across the street. He saw the Makai letters written on the sign and recognized that it was an inn for demons. It was away from humans, dark, and dry inside…

Shuichi forgot about his thoughts and quickly ran into the inn. Once he entered, the demons lurking in the lobby lazily looked over at him. Shuichi looked around, but couldn't find Hiei anywhere. His heart sunk.

"Hey, human. This place is for demons only. Unless you have a demon master here, get the fuck out." The innkeeper said. Shuichi felt like there was a hole in his chest. The fire demon had outsmarted him again. There was that familiar stinging behind the eyes. He was so sure…

"You were cutting it close. I've been here for almost an hour." Hiei said, as he descended the rickety staircase.

"Hiei!" Shuichi screamed in happiness. He turned around to see Hiei with his arms crossed, wearing a smirk on his face. Shuichi wanted to run to him and hug him, but he knew Hiei would disappear before his arms ever locked the embrace.

"He's with me." Hiei said to the keeper.

"Maybe you should get another slave. This one's pretty but stupid. What kind of slave makes his master wait one hour for him?" the innkeeper asked.

"Hn." Hiei replied and walked up the staircase.

'Did I hear that right? Slave?' Shuichi asked himself. He thought Hiei would deny that and explain that they were only traveling companions, but Hiei never said anything.

When they got to the room, Shuichi was happy to see two beds. He thought Hiei would make him sleep on the floor. He quickly took off his wet jacket and tossed it in the bathroom. He stripped down to his underwear and gratefully climbed into the bed. Hiei noticed the cuts and bruises on the human. Shuichi no longer complained of cuts or wounds anymore.

"Shouldn't you take a shower and clean yourself?" Hiei said. Shuichi groaned. It felt so nice to be someplace soft, dry, and warm. His muscles were so sore from chasing after Hiei and then searching for him. He sighed and headed into the bathroom. He plugged the drain and filled it up with warm water. He missed taking baths. When it was full, Shuichi happily stepped in and started to lather up his hair with shampoo. It's been so long since he properly cleaned himself.

Outside, Hiei stared out the window. He was looking at the place Shuichi was crouched in just a few minutes earlier. The boy almost gave up. The fire demon wondered why he even bothered to take care of the boy. He was playing games with him and wasting time when he should be looking for Yukina. But, where was she? He didn't know the human world that well and Shuichi only had a limited knowledge. Hiei considered ditching him earlier when he had to slow his pace for him.

Hiei had originally thought the demon that attacked Shuichi would show up again, but so far he hadn't even sensed any powerful demon close to the one that attacked him with the huge axe. It had only been four weeks, so maybe he'll show up again. If nothing happens for another month, he'll leave the human and look for Yukina on his own.

An hour later, Shuichi came out of the bathroom, dressed in silk pajamas. He still carried a few luxury items that he took with him when he ran away. He towel dried his hair, put his wet clothes in the washer, then the dryer, and then finally plopped down onto his bed. He snuggled the pillow and drifted off into slumber.

The fire demon was still awake. Shuichi was used to Hiei not sleeping at normal times. Hiei would sleep when he sensed that everyone else in the inn was asleep and that there were no potential threats after he carefully examined the few humans and demons that passed before the inn.

At around two in the morning, the few clients in the inn had fallen asleep and there was no one outside. Hiei then went to his bed. He glanced over at Shuichi to see that he had fallen into a deep slumber. His hair was fanned out over the pillow and several locks of hair fell by his neck. There were lazy curls of red resting by his shoulders and one strand that was caught between his lips. Shuichi was beautiful, even Hiei admitted that. He quickly looked away and turned over in bed.

'It's been too long since I've had sex.' Hiei concluded.

X X X X

Just as the early rays of the sun shone over the city, Hiei was already awake and dressed. He found a piece of paper and scribbled a note saying that he was looking for information. He would be back by noon. Hiei was thankful that Shuichi knew how to read Makai writing. He wouldn't have bothered taking Shuichi with him if he didn't know anything about the demon world or its lifestyles.

Hiei put on his cloak and left the inn. Earlier, he learned that there was an establishment a few miles to the north that was a center for demon gossip and trade. It only took the fire demon about an hour to find the place. It was hidden at the base of an inactive volcano. Jagged cliffs and dense vegetation made it hard to see.

As Hiei entered the place, he noticed that it looked very much like a marketplace. There were stands for Makai fruits, vegetables, and herbs. There were weapons, ornaments, and amplification devices. Hiei browsed the weaponry to see if there was at least a decent katana. He tried out a few of the swords, but none were good enough for him. Then again, you can't really find a well-crafted weapon in a marketplace. He left the stands, searching for anyone who might know about hiruiseki or ice maidens. To his disappointment, the demons that populated the place were mainly merchants and low-class demons. He must have gotten bad information.

Feeling disheartened, Hiei was about to leave, when a demon caught his eye. It was Roto. Now what would he be doing in a place like this? The blue demon looked very nervous when walking around the marketplace. Hiei stealthily followed him, noticing that Roto constantly looked over his shoulder. He was definitely scared of someone. After following him through what seemed like a maze of strange stores, Roto finally stopped in front of a butcher shop. The sign outside simply said one word: MEAT. He glanced around more anxiously than usual before stepping inside. After a few minutes, Hiei entered the store.

There were human carcasses hung around for display. Some were skinned, so that only the muscles and bones were left. There were stuffed organs and human brains were on a tray, displayed like a delicacy. Hiei's nose crinkled at the pungent smell. He also noticed that Roto was nowhere in sight. There was only the butcher behind the counter. Hiei approached him. The huge red demon eyed him as he felt him approach.

"Hmm. A tiny demon like you needs a lot of meat. I suggest eating three hearts a day and a pound of lean muscle to build up your body," the butcher said.

"I don't need meat. I'm looking for someone," Hiei said.

"Oh? There's no one here but you and me," the butcher said. Hiei scanned the place and didn't sense anyone else. Roto couldn't have escaped, or else his jagan would have caught him.

"Now, I sell hearts at about 30 coins for one. The muscle is about –" Hiei slammed his fist down on the bloodstained counter and his evil eye burned into the other demon's eyes. The butcher took a step back, now realizing who was in front of him.

"F-forbidden ch—" he started, but Hiei grabbed his large neck and pulled his face close to his. The butcher's face turned purple.

"Roto. Where did he go?" Hiei asked. The butcher grabbed a knife nearby and tried to stab Hiei with it. Hiei let him go to avoid the knife.

"Refuse my meat, will you? I'll show you the benefits of human meat!" The butcher then started to flex his muscles and they grew three fold. He roared and ran at Hiei. The fire demon easily avoided him and his fists started to glow with black flames. The butcher started to drool and breathe deeply through his nose. He was regressing into a primitive brute. He charged again at Hiei, but the jaganshi jumped onto his head and punched at it rapidly.

The butcher fell back, grumbling in his clumsiness. Hiei didn't like fighting with his fists and sorely missed his sword. His eyes caught a hot poker nearby. The butcher snarled and tried to punch Hiei this time. Hiei grabbed the poker and jumped into the air. He slammed it down onto the top of his head, piercing his head and throat.

He fell to the floor. The butcher made a gargling sound, trying not to swallow his own blood. In a few seconds he was dead. Hiei abandoned the body and looked into the back of the store. There was a dark curtain covering something. Hiei lifted it up to see a tunnel. It led into the center of the volcano.

Hiei stepped into the tunnel. It was distant, but he could feel some youki in the distance. After a few minutes, he arrived at what seemed to be another marketplace. There were torches and fires everywhere. There were cages of humans being sold off, human souls being sold in bottles, and dens where live torture took place to entertain the demons. Demons roamed the place, munching on cooked human fingers. This was the real demon's marketplace. Hiei looked for Roto among the crowd, but was only bothered by salesmen trying to get him to buy a human slave.

"Come on, come on! It's all the rage! A human slave without a wage."

"Buy your slaves right here! Obedience instilled through fear!"

"Get two slaves for the price of one!"

"Young ones for sale! They won't put up much of a fight. Take one home now and they'll keep you warm at night!"

Hiei brushed through the annoying slogans, killing at least three merchants who touched him. The other merchants moved out of Hiei's way, trying to claim the dead merchants' merchandise as their own. Hiei finally found Roto, after the crowd moved out of his way as they tried to take as much humans as they could for free.

The blue demon was walking away from the marketplace, through a dimly lit passageway. Hiei quickly followed him, making sure he wouldn't lose him this time.

Roto emerged into a dark room. He was sweating profusely. Hiei didn't see what he was so nervous about. There was only another person in the room, and it was a human. Roto got down onto his knees and bowed before the human.

"Sakyo-sama. Y-you call-called for me?" Roto stuttered. Sakyo took a puff from his cigarette and looked calmly at the cowering demon before him.

"You gave me some bad information," Sakyo said.

"Oh? I thought I told you everything I knew," Roto said. Sakyo continued to look at him calmly and took another puff of his cigarette.

"You _thought_ you told me everything? What is it that you've been keeping from me? Is it the fact that Tarukane is producing jewels through captive ice maidens?" Sakyo asked. Roto nervously laughed.

"I-I don't know anything about that!" Roto defended himself. Just then, Hiei stepped into view. Sakyo didn't notice him before and casually glanced at him.

"Hiei, is it?" Sakyo asked. Roto froze at the mention of the name and whimpered.

"I _really_ don't know anything about the koorimes, Hiei. Please, you have to believe me!" Roto cried. Hiei ignored him. He was concerned with the human. How did he know his name?

"Where is this Tarukane?" Hiei asked. Sakyo put out his cigarette.

"I don't know where he is. But I heard that one of his cronies is in a nearby town. Karasu, I believe his name was."

Hiei was surprised that Karasu was so close. At least he was on the right track. Karasu was definitely linked to the ice maidens. He turned to leave and considered killing the human for an instant. He didn't think humans knew his name. Perhaps it's not wise to let him live if he knows he's after the koorimes.

"You better get a move on. Karasu might leave soon." Sakyo said. Hiei decided not to kill him. He might come in useful later if he needed more information. Hiei turned and headed back to the city.

"Do you think you should have told him about Karasu?" a voice asked. Roto cowered even more at the new presence.

"I think he's capable of ruining Tarukane for us. This has gotten more interesting. A brother, trying to free his sister; and a greedy baron getting rich on her tears… I wonder who will win," Sakyo pondered.

"I don't see why I can't just kill him for you."

"Because, Toguro, I want to play with him some more." Now Sakyo turned his attention to Roto. Toguro noticed him as well.

"What should I do with him?" Toguro gestured at Roto.

"Kill him." In a flash, Toguro moved towards the blue demon and snapped his neck. He then turned and walked toward Sakyo.

"You really think it's wise to let him live?"

"Who? Hiei or Tarukane?"

"Both." Toguro said. Sakyo smirked as his hands found their way toward Toguro's jacket.

"Come now, don't ruin my fun," Sakyo said, as his fingers played with the button on Toguro's jacket.

X X X X

Kurama had searched for Shuichi, looking in human populated cities. He was sure he would've found him by now. He knew Shuichi wasn't dead yet. He had been able to follow his scent to this city, before it was drowned out by the scent of other human beings.

Frustrated and tired, Kurama headed to a demon bar just outside of the city. He was disappointed when he entered. There were _no_ attractive demons inside. He ordered strong alcohol instead.

Just as he reached for his drink, a pale white arm reached it first and brought it to his face. Too bad his silver mask was in the way.

"Karasu." Kurama simply said.

"Oh? I'm flattered you remembered me." Karasu said. He brought the drink toward his mask and sniffed it.

"You should have this with a little blood. It really gives it a kick."

Karasu then turned his eyes to the little marks he left on Kurama's neck. They were almost gone, but there were still faint traces left. He brought his fingers to trace the marks when Kurama grabbed his hand and pushed it away.

"What's wrong? Did you not enjoy it?" Karasu asked. Kurama glared at him. It was just a one-time thing. Kurama had no interest in Karasu again. He was more concerned with Shuichi.

Karasu didn't like being brushed off so easily. He removed his mask and brought his lips to Kurama's. The fox casually moved away. That angered Karasu. He entangled his thin fingers in the youko's gorgeous silver hair, only to have Kurama shrug him off again.

Karasu reached for him again, but Kurama caught him before he could touch him again. Kurama glared at him and pushed him away. Karasu detected something troubling those beautiful golden eyes. He had an idea who.

"What's troubling you, youko?" Karasu asked. Kurama didn't respond. If Karasu touched him again, he would kill him.

"You know, I met someone a while ago that reminded me of you. He had gorgeous hair and such a beautiful face. I think you would've enjoyed him too." Karasu said. Kurama got up to leave.

"And he had the most beautiful cries. He whimpered every time I tasted his blood and he desperately called out for help. You _really_ should have been there." Karasu added, now smirking at the youko. Kurama suddenly felt chilly. He left the bar before Karasu started to boast about even more horrific stories. He started to worry about Shuichi more and more. Kurama knew he had to find him soon.

After Kurama left the bar, Karasu was smiling as he put his mask back on, remembering Shuichi's blood on his lips. If only Kurama knew who he was talking about.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X


	5. Dealing

A/N: Yeah... this lazy author finally got off her lazy ass, only to sit in a more comfortable chair, to finish this story. Since it's been a while since I last updated, you might want to go back and reread the story. To the people that reviewed:

Krato's Angel: Hmm... I don't remember you reviewing before (did you change your pen name?)... it's been a while since I've even visited this site. Anyway, thank you for being so fanatical about the lack of reviews. It really doesn't bother me anymore as long as I have people like you who still read this story. (I wonder if I even have loyal reviewers left, it's been so long...)

angel of darkness flame: Yeah, I remember you. Thank you for even dropping a line. At least it shows you're interested.

JadedSoul: Tee hee! I remembered another reviewer. Thank you for still reading this. I think you'll like this chapter since a lot of paths are crossing.

Birth stained scarlet: Yay, you've reviewed just about everything I wrote. Well, I'm too lazy to check, but I think you did. Thanks for showing me your support since I started writing KuramaxHiei fics. It's loyal readers that make me get back to writing. I hope you're still active on this site.

Psychogirly:I think you'll like this chapter. A lot of paths cross here. But... you do realize this is a HieixKurama fic, right? If you're hoping Kurama and Shuichi will get together, you'll be disappointed, well maybe not... ... I'm not telling!

mistressKC-wanteddeadoralive:Wow, you have a long name. Is the KC your initials? Anyway, thank you for reviewing. I'll check out your fic (it's probably finished by now, right?) if I have time. I'm trying to finish this story. Uh... Yukina will probably be in the next chapter.

YokoYoukai: Sorry, but Shuichi and Kurama meet in this chapter... but you probably won't be too disappointed.

Katsume18: Sorry for being a lazy bum, but it's my nature. I hope you're still around to read this.

yuio: Yay! A new reviewer, well as new as the last time you reviewed anyway...

What2callmyself: I feel bad that I left people hanging, especially when things were getting good. I was uninspired at the end of the last chapter, but then thoughts just started flowing when I visited again. I hope you're still interested in this!

tbiris: Yeah, things will pick up from here. I'm thinking this is probably somewhere in the middle of this story. I'll probably write a few more chapters and that's it. How fast I update will depend on how well my creative juices flow.

That's it for the reviewers! There was a lot more than I remembered. Maybe it's because I've been gone for 6 months... Sorry to everyone who really liked this story only to have it stopped because I'm one lazy fucker. If you guys are still around, I'll like to know.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

His lips were so warm and inviting. The kiss was devouring him and he felt himself give into the other's every touch. He had waited for this for so long. The strong pale arms pushed him down onto the bed as his hands slowly removed the youth's shirt. The silver creature climbed on top of the teen and brought his groin down onto his. The redhead moaned at the contact. His breathing grew erratic and his body felt so heated.

The human brought his hands into the other's hair and caressed the silver locks. It felt so lush and smooth. The youko brought his mouth to the human's again and their heated kiss resumed where it left off. The youth slowly slid his hands around the youko's waist and removed the sash there. The thin white garments fell apart and the human eagerly pushed them off the youko's body. Now both parties only had their pants on.

"Kurama," Shuichi moaned. They broke the kiss for air and Kurama started to unbuckle his pants. He slid them off the boy's smooth legs and proceeded to lie in between them. Just as Shuichi was about to remove the youko's pants, a loud noise interrupted this process.

Shuichi's eyes shot open. His emerald eyes looked around the room. There was loud cursing and things smashing just outside the door to the hotel room. Shuichi groaned and pulled the blanket over his head.

'Again? I dreamed of him again? Kurama...' Shuichi thought. His body felt hot again as he replayed the dream in his head. His pants grew uncomfortably tight as he pulled his head out from underneath the blankets. He needed a shower. Shuichi looked around the room, grateful to see that Hiei was not there. He wouldn't be able to live down his embarrassment.

The human got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. He turned the knobs until there was cool water spewing from the shower head. He stripped off his clothes and stepped into the water. The coldness made him jump, but his body cooled down and he was no longer in an uncomfortable state of arousal. He hated how his body reacted to the slightest stimulation, like even lying on his stomach while sleeping.

"Kurama," Shuichi moaned again. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about his surrogate parent ever since he left. His heart felt a stab of pain every time he thought of him, but he couldn't stop his thoughts from wandering back to the seductive youko. Shuichi wanted nothing more than to forget about him and to focus on his training with Hiei. Speaking of Hiei...

Shuichi finished off his shower and dried himself off. He put on some loose clothes and headed back into the bedroom. 'Where did he go?' Shuichi wondered. His eyes found a piece of paper on the table and he read it. 'Be back around noon?' He looked at the clock on the wall to see that it was almost eleven. He sighed and plopped back down onto his bed. Every muscle in his body still hurt.

'Damn you, Hiei. I'm not a demon. I can't run as fast or fight as hard as you do.' Shuichi thought. He had stopped complaining about his cuts and bruises a while ago. It only fueled Hiei to push him harder. 'Why do I even listen to him? It's not like I'm training for a battle.' Shuichi sighed. 'How did things turn out this way?' Once again his thoughts strayed back to Kurama and the sheltered life he lived. He tossed in bed and forced the thoughts out of his mind. 'No. I'm learning to live on my own now.' Shuichi told himself. But he knew it was a lie. He wasn't living with himself. He was living with another demon. 'It feels like I'm living by myself. Hiei barely talks to me.'

Now his thoughts drifted in a new direction. Hiei was a huge enigma to Shuichi. He had never met anyone like him. The fire demon was so distant and detached. He sometimes wondered if Hiei's soul leaves his body. It was creepy how Hiei would just sit and ponder for hours. And that third eye... Something about it unsettled the human.

Shuichi wondered some more about Hiei. What was his past? What is he doing in the Ningenkai? Someone like him most definitely came from and belonged to the Makai. There were so many questions that he would like to ask him, but he knew Hiei would never tell him anything. Hiei had a very strong barrier guarding his heart.

'So... what am I doing with him? Why does he even keep me around? Why doesn't he kill me or sell me off? It's not like he has uses for a human.' This last thought bothered him. What if what he has with Hiei will end up like what happened with Kurama? What if he got attached to Hiei, fell in love, only to have Hiei spurn his feelings? This brought a bitter smile to his lips. Fall in love? With Hiei? Like that could ever happen. Shuichi pondered some more, only to fall asleep again.

X X X X

Hiei eagerly scouted the area outside of the city, searching for Karasu's signature. He had to find him. Karasu was definitely linked to the ice maidens. Hiei clutched the tear gem in his hand, thinking of Yukina.

The fire demon couldn't sense any powerful demons around the city. That human better not have lied to him. Sakyo was his name? Hiei had a feeling that he was one of the elite humans in the Ningenkai. Someone like him should know about the dark dealings of the human world.

Disappointed that he couldn't sense any strong signatures, he headed back to the inn. As he got closer and closer to Shuichi, he felt two strange energies not too far off. Hiei took off his headband to probe the energies further. Hiei changed courses and headed toward the demons. One of the two left and the other one was headed in his direction. Hiei speeded up to meet with this demon.

As the two neared each other, Hieis heartbeat sped up. An image of a demon with long black hair was approaching him. It was Karasu.

The crow couldnt help but smile when he saw Hiei. How nice of his prey to come to him. He stopped a few feet away from the jaganshi and examined him. The sword master was without his sword. Karasu smiled behind his mask. He had the advantage. He felt the adrenaline pumping in his veins. He couldnt wait to take a bite out of this demon, literally.

"Hiei, is it?" Karasu asked.

"Hn. Karasu." Hiei replied.

Karasu was mildly shocked that Hiei knew who he was. Karasu's smile faded when he saw the jagan on Hiei's forehead. That would be an obstacle. Hiei could easily see his bombs. Hiei took a step back and started to remove his bandages.

'Undressing' Karasu thought hopefully. His mood changed when he saw that Hiei was only unmasking his power. The Forbidden Child is as powerful as the rumors say. Karasu slowly moved his floating bombs towards the jaganshi. However, before Karasu ordered them to, they exploded. Karasu lost concentration for just a second, but it was all Hiei needed to disappear and reappear right before him and land a punch on his face. Karasu gathered his wits after the first punch and swiftly moved away from Hiei. After a few minutes, Karasu gained a safe distance away from Hiei. How did his bombs...?

As Karasu pondered, Hiei approached him again. Karasu was ready this time and moved his bombs in Hiei's way. Hiei easily dodged them and headed for Karasu once again. The crow barely dodged Hiei's fists and once again managed to get away from him. Karasu knew his bombs were useless against Hiei. He was too fast. Karasu moved the remaining bombs by Hiei but once again, they all exploded before he even commanded him to. However this time, Karasu saw the little wave of youki Hiei sent out that set the bombs off. 'That's how he's disabling them? By making them explode before they reach him?' Karasu mused.

"A smart one. But let's see how well you do if you can't see my bombs," Karasu said. Hiei didn't understand, but decided to head for Karasu anyway. Without his sword, Karasu had a slight advantage. He didn't want to release the dragon. His body was still adjusting to having the dragon devour him the last time.

As Hiei headed for Karasu, his body sensed danger, and he leapt off the ground. Just as he did, a huge explosion followed. He landed fifty feet away from where he jumped, but he felt danger again and had to jump off the ground. 'That's what he meant. Mines.' Hiei constantly jumped around the place, trying to avoid getting a limb blown off. Karasu was cackling as he implanted more and more bombs into the ground. He enjoyed watching Hiei's tense face as he tried to avoid the mines.

"You can't avoid them all. There's too many and there's less and less room for you to stand!" Karasu boomed. Just as he said this, Hiei stepped on a mine, jumped, and collided with a bomb waiting for him in midair. He fell to the ground, where another mine awaited him and his body was launched a hundred feet into the air. Karasu laughed like a maniac.

Hiei cursed, and landed on a nearby tree. Karasu walked toward him, creating more bombs as he approached. Hiei was in no mood to play. He focused his jagan and every bomb Karasu created exploded at the same time. A huge crater was formed in the ground and smoke filled the air. Hiei shielded his eyes from the smoke while Karasu was pushed back several yards from the explosions. Karasu brushed himself off as the smoke cleared. It seemed the jaganshi no longer wanted to play. Too bad. Karasu was enjoying himself immensely. It seemed the time to fight seriously had come too soon. Karasu reached to remove his mask, but a voice stopped him.

"Karasu!" Toguro said. Both parties looked in the direction of the new presence. 'When did he get here?' Hiei thought to himself.

"I thought I was told to finish him off, Toguro, " Karasu told .

"We have new orders, from Sakyo," Toguro said pointedly.

Karasu pouted at his comrade and sighed. It seemed like Toguro was ruining his fun again. The raven-clad demon removed himself from the battlefield to join Toguro by his side.

"Let me guess, we have to go now?" Karasu asked sarcastically.

"Sakyo wants you to keep an eye on Tarukane and his... source of income," Toguro said. Karasu glanced at Hiei. The fire demon kept his guard up.

"And what do we do about him?" Karasu asked.

"I'll take care of him. Go." Toguro said. Karasu left dejectedly, going to spy on Tarukane as ordered. Toguro took in Hiei's presence.

"80 percent," Toguro said. Hiei didn't understand, but decided to attack him anyway. As Hiei ran toward the new demon, he was blown back by the immense battle aura. By the time Hiei looked at Toguro again, he looked completely different. His muscles were bulging out of his arms and chest. Hiei knew instantly that this was the kind of demon he was looking for. He gathered black flames of the Makai into his fists and charged at the powerful demon.

Toguro let Hiei hit him, punch after punch after punch. Hiei stopped for a split second when he realized his punches were having no effect on the over-sized, over-pumped muscles. That was all it took for Toguro to slam his fist into Hiei's face. The fire demon barely had enough time to block the attack, sending him flying back. When he finally stopped rolling along the ground, Hiei assessed his wounds, estimating a few cracked bones.

Toguro slowly approached the injured demon, surprised that he was not dead yet. He raised his massive arm, ready to finish the demon once and for all. However, Hiei jumped aside before Toguro could finish the blow. The over-pumped demon did manage to leave a big crater in the earth though.

Hiei thought he could avoid the other demon's attacks with his speed. He couldn't possibly be as fast him with those muscles in the way. Hiei was wrong. The next second, Toguro was by his side and smashed Hiei's ribs with a chop to the chest.

Hiei flew from the attack again, but he got back up quickly knowing that Toguro could kill him if he didn't. The jaganshi could feel his energy draining. 'Just two blows?' Hiei thought. He was already wheezing and his arms were almost crushed by the first attack. He needed to retreat now if he wanted to live long enough to find his sister. He hated to withdraw from a fight, especially when his pride made it so hard, but finding Yukina was more important than winning this fight.

Swallowing his pride, the jaganshi turned from Toguro and fled. His speed would only take him so far since the other demon was quick as well. However, he was sure he could keep up this pace for miles. He only hoped Toguro didn't have his endurance.

After Hiei fled, Toguro remained rooted to his spot. His body returned to its normal state. 'Is the forbidden child a coward?' Toguro wondered. He didn't chase him because he couldn't keep up with Hiei if they decided to have a long distance run. 'No, it must be strategy. He's one of the smart ones to not let his pride be the end of him.' Toguro concluded.

X X X X

Shuichi was having yet _another_ wet dream. He was twisting between the sheets and he was moaning. His hair was sprawled all over the pillow and his shirt was halfway up his torso. This was the scene Hiei saw when he returned to the hotel room. He forgot about his wounds for a second to enjoy Shuichi in such a state.

The human's dream was interrupted when he sensed Hiei entering the room. He woke up to see Hiei smirking at him. 'That's strange, I was just dreaming about him...' Shuichi thought. 'Oh no...' he thought and promptly turned red. He kept his eyes on the bed and was trying to figure a way out of this embarrassing situation when he heard a thud on the floor.

Hiei had collapsed from the blood loss. He spent an hour running in different directions, trying to throw Toguro off. He didn't want him to know that he was returning to the inn.

A day later, Hiei woke up in a bed. For a moment, he couldn't figure out where he was or why he was in a bed in the first place. However, a sharp pain in his chest reminded him of his broken ribs and his fight with Toguro. He looked down to find his wounds bandaged. Hiei looked for Shuichi but didn't see him. That was fine, he didn't want him to be here when he woke up anyway.

Hiei collected his thoughts and analyzed his fight with Toguro. He never imagined he would encounter such a strong fighter outside the Makai. Who was he? All he knew was that his name was Toguro and that he worked with Karasu. But then who did they work for? He remembered that Karasu said he was ordered to kill him, but then Toguro said they had new orders from... Sakyo. Hiei remembered his meeting with Sakyo. He was a human with an average build. He had long black hair and was well groomed. Why would Toguro take orders from him? The Ningenkai was a strange place.

As he replayed his meeting in his head, he remembered that someone named Tarukane held the koorimes captive. What was going on? Did Sakyo or Tarukane really have his sister? Are they working together? No, when Toguro was talking to Karasu, it seemed like they followed Sakyo's orders over Tarukane's. But then why would Toguro listen to this Tarukane if he was that strong? Why wouldn't he just kill him and take the jewels if that was what they were after? Unless... Tarukane was a stronger demon or the jewels aren't their objective in the first place. Hiei had a lot to think about, but nothing that happened so far gave him any lead as to his sister's whereabouts. Hiei also had another problem. How was he going to beat Toguro? After their battle, Hiei knew that he was obviously not as strong as him. He needed to train.

Just as was thinking of training methods, Shuichi walked in. He was surprised that Hiei was up with his injuries. He hoped Hiei didn't remember anything...

"Shuichi," Hiei called. Wow, Hiei using his name? This was either serious... or he was going to tease him.

"How long was I out for?" he asked. Shuichi mentally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, about a day," he said casually. Hiei seemed to take this in and thought for a while. Shuichi thought he was in the clear when...

"You know, I saw somethi-"

"You must have been dreaming. You lost a lot of blood you know," Shuichi cut him off. But Hiei was smirking at him like he knew everything that happened. Shuichi couldn't look at him in the face, so he turned around.

"I'll get you some food," he said quickly before closing the door.

After he left, Shuichi was mentally cursing himself. How could he have let that happen? It was bad enough feeling aroused in his sleep, but having Hiei see him? And to dream of Hiei of all people? 'Oh no, he can read minds too. Dammit, dammit, dammit!' he thought.

Shuichi was bothered that he would dream of him in the first place. Why would he dream of him like that? Sure, he could see Hiei murdering and torturing him in a dream but... sex with him? 'It must be because I've been spending too much time around him,' he concluded.

He went outside to get the promised food. Shuichi had the feeling that Hiei hasn't had a proper meal that composed of meat, grains, veggies, and fruit. 'He probably only eats meat.' Shuichi thought. He knew that a demon's diet only needed meat to survive, but that didn't mean Hiei couldn't enjoy some gastronomical pleasures.

Shuichi went to a produce store and bought the vegetables, fruit, and spices/herbs. He headed to a bakery to buy some bread. However, unknown to him, he was being watched by golden eyes. The human bought fresh baked bread and headed to the butcher to get Hiei's favorite food group, meat. He was about to enter the store when he felt a familiar presence behind him. He tensed, not knowing what to do.

"Shuichi," the youko beckoned.

The human slowly turned around and saw the silver demon behind him. His arms were crossed across his chest and his hair was blowing gently in the light breeze. He looked so magnificent and beautiful.

"K-Kurama," Shuichi said. He realized that he'd been standing in front of the store for a couple of seconds.

"Um, let's talk somewhere else," Shuichi said.

"Lead the way," Kurama said. Shuichi led them to a grassy plain just outside of the city. They stood facing each other but neither said anything. Kurama was looking cross and waited for Shuichi to say something.

"What brings you all the way out here?" Shuichi said. Kurama's eyes narrowed.

"Why haven't you come back to me yet? You know I was worried about you!" Kurama said. 'Worried about me like a lover or like a parent?' Shuichi wondered. Right now, with the angry look on the demon's face and the way his tail was swishing, Kurama looked like an angry father.

"I just needed to get away. It was kind of getting stuffy in that cave, you know?" Shuichi lied. Kurama walked over to him and grabbed him roughly by the arms causing Shuichi to drop his bag. Kurama noticed that there was enough groceries in there for two.

"I didn't know you liked to eat so much," Kurama said.

"Well, I'm a growing boy," Shuichi said bitterly. Kurama released him and looked hurt. Kurama knew Shuichi was traveling with someone else, another _demon_ in fact.

'What's this? He's jealous now?' Shuichi thought.

"Why did you do this? Was it Karasu? The fact that I left you for him on your birthday?" Kurama asked. Bitter resentment arose in Shuichi.

"Shuichi, you should know that he was just a one night stand, like all the rest," Kurama said admonishingly. Suddenly, Shuichi saw red.

"A one night stand, huh? Then you should know that your one time _lover_ almost raped and killed me while you probably had another slut in your bed!" Shuichi said. Tears were suddenly falling from his eyes while he futilely tried to hold them back.

"Where were you? I screamed for you. You said you'd always protect me," Shuichi cried. He slumped to the ground, trying to hold himself together. This sounded familiar to Kurama. Was Shuichi what Karasu was bragging about? Kurama's aura flared when he realized he should have killed Karasu in that bar earlier. He forgot his anger when he saw Shuichi on the ground. He could kill Karasu later.

Kurama walked over to where Shuichi was on the ground and held him in his arms. Shuichi screamed at him and wanted him to let him go. Kurama easily captured his arms so Shuichi couldn't escape from him. Shuichi tried to get away but knew it was pointless. When he calmed down a little, Kurama placed kisses all over his tear stained face.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Kurama whispered in between kisses.

'Stop it. Stop being so nice to me when you don't even care. You don't even love me.' Shuichi thought painfully. Shuichi finally calmed down and let Kurama hold him. Kurama kissed the trail of tears from Shuichi's eyes to his chin. His kisses started to move back up from his chin as he neared his way to Shuichi's mouth. When Kurama finally got to his lips, he placed a gentle kiss there, but then nipped softly at his lower lip. Kurama pulled Shuichi's body closer and slipped his tongue in his mouth. Shuichi didn't respond at first, but soon he put his arms around Kurama and moved his tongue along Kurama's. Kurama slid his hand up Shuichi's shirt and he tiny twinge of pain as Kurama pinched his skin. Shuichi squirmed a little, trying to get away from Kurama's groping hand. He enjoyed the kiss deeply, but the human's mind told him to stop.

'No. Stop it. Stop kissing me because you're sorry.' Shuichi thought. He pulled away from the kiss and his grasp. Nothing can change what happened.

"Shuichi?" Kurama asked.

"No, this isn't what I want," Shuichi said. Yes, the kiss was good and he wanted nothing more than to continue, but in the end, where will they end up? Kurama was only giving him what he wanted because he felt sorry.

"Nothing happened. He left before he could do anything," Shuichi revealed. 'So you don't have to sleep with me to make yourself feel better.' he thought. Kurama breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good but, why did he leave?" Kurama asked. That was the wrong thing to say as Shuichi got up angrily.

"Why did he stop? I don't care why! Did you want him to rape me!" Shuichi screamed.

"Of course not. I just wanted to - nevermind," Kurama said as he tried to hold the youth again. Shuichi avoided his grasp.

"Fine. All that matters is that you're safe. Now come on, let's go back," Kurama said.

"No," Shuichi said. He didn't want to go back. He would only be confused by Kurama's actions.

"What was that?" Kurama asked. There was no way he would leave Shuichi alone after he heard what happened. Then Shuichi's eyes fell upon the bag of groceries on the ground.

"I'm already with somebody. In fact, he's my boyfriend," Shuichi lied.

"Oh? Is he another demon?" Kurama asked. He forgot that Shuichi was traveling with a demon companion.

"Yeah. He's really strong. He's the one who saved me from Karasu," Shuichi said. That wasn't a complete lie, but Hiei did save his life.

"I thought you said you don't know why he left," Kurama asked. Shuichi remained silent.

"Well, I don't know if he did chase Karasu away. I passed out but when I woke up, he bandaged my wounds," Shuichi said.

"Who is he? I want to meet him,"Kurama said. Shuichi couldn't take him to Hiei now. He was injured. Kurama would say that Hiei was too weak to protect him.

"He's out on an errand right now. I was going to make him a romantic meal when he got back."

"What would happen if a demon attacked you now?"

"What is he supposed to do? Never leave my side? You're always either too protective or not there at all," Shuichi said. That comment hurt Kurama more than he was going to admit.

"Hm. And if I were to take you back right now? What would he do?"

"He would track you down and take me back of course. Then you could see how strong he is," Shuichi said smugly. He hoped Kurama couldn't catch his lies.

"At least you could tell me his name."

"He's the love of my life. That's all you need to know."

"I just hope it's a long life," Kurama said. Seeing that Shuichi was too stubborn to change his mind, Kurama wanted to take him back by force. Shuichi seemed to read his thoughts.

"Even if you were to force me to go with you, I'll never be happy," Shuichi said. There was such a sad tone in his voice. Kurama moved closer to him again and ran his fingers through his silky locks. Kurama missed him so much. He looked him in the eyes.

"Is being with me really going to bed that bad?" Kurama said in his gentlest voice. There was such tenderness in his eyes that Shuichi thought was impossible to find in the demon. The human didn't want to answer, knowing that if he lied, his voice would crack and that he would fall into Kurama's arms again.

"Can you please just trust me?" Shuichi begged. Kurama smiled sadly.

"Fine, if this is what you really want. But remember, if there's anything wrong, you can always come back to me." He handed Shuichi a plant. It was infused with Kurama's youki.

"Just send your energy into this plant and I'll come at once," Kurama said. Shuichi nodded. Kurama kissed him on the forehead and then stepped back.

"I guess this is goodbye then," Kurama said. Shuichi looked at the ground. He really didn't want Kurama to leave. He couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Have a good life with your boyfriend," Kurama said. Within a couple of seconds, Kurama could no longer be seen. Shuichi looked at the plant in his hand and placed it in his pocket. As he went to pick up the grocery bag, tears started rolling down his cheeks. The person who he centered his life around was no longer going to be caring for him. He couldn't stop himself so he just let the tears roll. 'I'm such a child. No wonder Kurama never wanted me.'

X X X X

After Shuichi stopped crying, he cleaned himself up and went to the butcher shop. He got the meat and then returned to the inn. As soon as Shuichi entered, Hiei knew something had happened. For one thing, Shuichi took a lot of time to just buy food. The human's eyes were also a little puffy and he had the scent of another demon on him. Shuichi's mood had also changed. There was such a depressed aura around him. Hiei didn't pry because it wasn't his nature.

"Sorry I took so long. There was a commotion in the streets," Shuichi said. He looked around and realized there was no kitchen.

"Oh right, the kitchen's downstairs,"he said and then prepared the food downstairs.

When he returned, Hiei was sitting up and thinking again. Shuichi handed him the food. Hiei looked at it strangely.

"What did you do to the meat?" Hiei asked.

"I cooked it, after I put herbs and spices on it."

"Why? It's better raw."

"If you don't want to eat it, you can catch your own meat," Shuichi said. Hiei looked at the meat again and picked it up with hand. He chewed on it.

"It's tough," Hiei said. Shuichi looked over to see Hiei eating with his hands.

"What? You're eating with your hands? Use a knife and fork!" Shuichi said. Hiei looked at the knife. He knew how to use that. What was with this other strange tool? Shuichi sighed and walked over. He cut up the meat into smaller pieces and stabbed the meat with the fork and put it in front of Hiei's mouth.

"I can do that myself," Hiei said as he took the fork from Shuichi's hand. "I don't see why you had to cook it. The meat isn't so tough when it's fresh. And this meat doesn't have any blood," Hiei complained.

"It tastes better, doesn't it?" Shuichi asked. Hiei put the meat in his mouth and tasted it. It did taste better, but he wouldn't admit it. Shuichi knew he was right when he didn't hear any other complaints.

"And the veggies?" Shuichi said as he pointed at the untouched vegetables. He spent so much time preparing, Hiei better eat it all!

"I don't need it," Hiei said.

"It's good for you." There was silence as Shuichi held the fork with vegetables in front of Hiei. Hiei has eaten plants before, but they all tasted bitter and didn't taste as good as meat. But these were cooked vegetables, maybe they tasted better. Reluctantly, Hiei opened his mouth and ate the broccoli. It didn't taste as good as the meat, but it was okay. Hiei finished the rest of the meal at Shuichi's prodding.

"It was okay," was all Hiei said after they both finished their meals. Shuichi brought the dishes back downstairs. When he came back up, Hiei was waiting for him.

"What?" Shuichi asked.

"I need... a favor," Hiei asked. Shuichi was reluctant at first. What if Hiei asked him to do something impossible, like kill the demon that attacked him? No, Hiei would want to take his own revenge.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I need to train, but I also need some information. Since I won't have time to train you, you can look for some information on hiruiseki or koorimes," Hiei said. He hoped the human knew what they were. Shuichi thought for a bit. Where had he heard that before? His eyes happened to fall upon the jewel in Hiei's hand. That's when he remembered that Kurama told him all about them.

"The ice maidens and the tears they produce? Well, I have an idea where to start," Shuichi said.

"How do you know wh-" Hiei stopped himself when he saw the look on Shuichi's face. It probably had something to do with what happened earlier. A mutual understanding passed between them. Hiei won't ask how Shuichi knew about the jewels if Shuichi didn't ask why Hiei needed to find the koorimes.

Later, when both of them were in their beds, they couldn't help but wonder what happened to the other on this day. They both also realized that they couldn't live without each other. Shuichi needed Hiei's protection and Hiei didn't realize it yet, but his heart was starting to finally let someone in.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

A/N: I've started on the next chapter but I won't make any promises since I can't seem to keep them.


	6. Revelations

A/N:

lazy fat kitsune: lol, i like your user name. here it is, an update after a week. is that fast enough?

Birth stained Scarlet: yay, you're still here. yeah :cough: kuwa-chan will save the day. well, he'll make an appearance at least. i'm glad you're still reading this.

Katsume18: 'worth the long wait'? wow, you're really patient. anyway, i hope you like this chapter.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

It has been about three months since Kurama and Shuichi departed ways. Hiei kept true to his word and trained... almost nonstop. Shuichi couldn't believe how determined the fire demon was. It took about a week after Kurama's departure before Hiei could train seriously. The human was amazed at how fast the small demon could heal himself.

Two weeks after Hiei's injury, Hiei isolated himself completely and sought to strengthen his black dragon. Shuichi remembered how creepy it was to have a huge dragon devour half the ground he tried to sleep on. Hiei just told him to look for the ice maidens by himself and distance himself if he didn't want to be killed while Hiei trained. Shuichi took his advice and didn't see Hiei for two months. After that, he checked in occasionally to see Hiei pass out from his training. He would bandage his new wounds and then leave to find information on the koorimes.

Shuichi knew most of the jewelry traders in the Ningenkai because of Kurama. It hurt to see the traders because they asked where Kurama was. He only told them that he was on an errand from his former guardian and they told him everything they knew. The jewelry traders knew that if they didn't want their goods stolen, they would cooperate with him. There was also the occasional theft attempt when petty thieves would see Shuichi leave the trade shops. Shuichi would take care of them easily with his whip. After fighting off two groups of thieves who thought he carried expensive jewels, he realized that his training with Hiei had paid off. He was faster, stronger, and his hits were more accurate.

"I wonder when I'll see him again," Shuichi said to himself after the thieves have fled. He had traveled to many cities, both demon and human populated ones, and have found almost no traces of the ice maidens. Some stores sold hiruiseki, but wouldn't tell how they got them. Not even a threat that Kurama would visit could make them spill. Whoever Tarukane was, he was a stronger player in the Ningenkai than Kurama, which worried Shuichi a little.

He knew he couldn't return to Hiei with no clue where the koorimes were. He even looked for information from other demons, but no one has actually seen the ice maidens. Shuichi was about to give up when he decided to use a last resort. He headed toward demon territory and cautiously approached the fancy mansion. Most of the demons around knew who Shuichi was, but it wasn't them he was worried about, it was the owner of the mansion. He was another thief like Kurama; he wasn't as famous but just as good. If he wanted information about jewels, getting it from him would almost be as reliable as getting it from Kurama.

The youth hoped he was still in, and that he wouldn't slice his head off for coming back to this place. A servant greeted him at the door and welcomed him inside. That was a good sign, right? Shuichi cautiously followed, aware that at any time, the owner could order him to be killed. Why did he come here again?

"Shuichi," a calm voice said. He wasn't aware they arrived at the destination. He looked around the vast, grand room to see a figure by the large ceiling to floor window. He wasn't in his usual attire. There was no hat, vest, or straps on his arms. The demon was in a long black bathrobe, holding onto what seemed like wine. Wrapped around his other wrist was a red pendant. Shuichi looked around to see that the servant had left.

Kuronue turned around and looked at the human. He moved over from the window and stopped a few feet away from the human. He started to swing his pendant around his hand. He didn't speak but continued to look at the youth. Shuichi stayed still and tried not to reveal that something happened between him and Kurama. A whole minute passed without anyone speaking.

"So, what did Kurama send you here for?" the bat demon asked. Shuichi inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

"He wants to know if you've seen new hiruiseki on the market or in auctions anywhere," Shuichi said casually. The bat demon thought for a while before he replied.

"Those rare jewels?" he paused. "Now that you mention it, there has been a new wave of them on the auction blocks. It's strange, really. The ice maidens usually don't leave Koorime Island. It makes you wonder how so many new tears got into the Ningenkai," Kuronue wondered.

"So there are ice maidens here?" Shuichi asked. Kuronue looked at him with a frown. It seemed like the youth interrupted his thoughts.

"Someone has gotten a hold of a couple of ice maidens," Kuronue revealed.

"How do you know that?" Shuichi asked. Kuronue smirked at him like Shuichi should have been able to figure it out for himself. Oh well, now Kuronue could share his brilliant deductive reasoning with the human and put him in his place.

"It's really quite easy to figure out, Shuichi. Like I said, the koorime almost never leave the island and tears don't just roll out of that place. Someone would have to go to the island to get the tears. The island itself is impossible to find since it's shrouded in mist and fog somewhere in the sky. Even Kurama and I couldn't find it..." Kuronue said. It seemed like he was reminiscing for a while before he continued.

"The temperatures on the island are below freezing so whoever does make it to the island would have a limited time to either find the tears or capture a maiden. Even if someone managed to get a koorime off the island, it's very hard to get her to cry. So you can see why the new wave of hiruiseki is strange. Whoever is selling them has easy access to them. One maiden wouldn't be able to shed that many tears, even under torture," Kuronue concluded.

"So it's definite that the ice maidens are in the Ningenkai," Shuichi said to himself.

"Now you can answer my question. Kurama already has hiruiseki, so why would he want more? And now that there are more tears available, they're not as rare anymore. I don't see Kurama going after jewels that decrease in value," Kuronue said. Shuichi knew that he was caught.

"From the moment that you walked in here alone, I knew something happened between you two. Kurama would never let his precious kitten come near me again, especially since he knows how I feel about you," Kuronue said. Shuichi didn't respond, now regretting that he ever came here.

"And now that Kurama's not here to protect you..." Kuronue said as he drew out his sickle. Shuichi made a dash for the exit, but the bat demon easily caught him. The human took out his whip and tried to free himself from the demon's grasp, but Kuronue easily caught the whip and threw it aside. Shuichi was no match for Kuronue no matter how many weapons he had. Kuronue threw his blade at the human, which Shuichi barely dodged. This time, the human made a U-turn and tried to escape through one of the windows. Shuichi's legs carried him as far as they could go, but Kuronue appeared before the window and grabbed Shuichi's neck and lifted him up. The bat demon enjoyed choking the little brat.

"K-Kurama..." Shuichi weakly cried. This angered Kuronue and he dropped him onto the floor. The human wheezed on the floor and tried to get away again. Kuronue leaned down and grasped Shuichi by his shirt and threw him into a chair. Shuichi wondered what changed the bat demon's mood so suddenly.

"Why didn't you kill me?" Shuichi asked. Kuronue scoffed.

"Don't think I wasn't going to. However, Kurama would never forgive me if I did that," Kuronue answered. He turned around and called for his servant. The bat demon requested something and a few seconds later, the servant returned with something in his hands. He handed it over to Shuichi. The human hesitantly took it.

"I don't know how much these jewels or the koorime mean to you, but if you're willing to risk your life to get them then they must have more meaning than Kurama," Kuronue said. Shuichi looked at the little card in his hands.

"That's an invitation to the five biggest auctions in the world. If you search all of them, you should be able to figure out where all the jewels are coming from," Kuronue revealed.

"Why are you doing this?" Shuichi asked.

"I don't know why you're no longer with Kurama. I know you didn't betray him or hurt him because you would be dead already. But... I do know that for some reason, he cares about you and if I help you... he'd be happy," Kuronue said. Shuichi was confused because a few seconds ago, Kuronue tried to kill him.

"I thought you wanted me dead."

"That was a temporary lapse in judgment," Kuronue brushed off. 'Lapse in judgment? What if you killed me?' Shuichi thought angrily. Oh well, he was thankful to be alive and couldn't wait to get away from the unpredictable demon.

"Now leave before I change my mind and kill you."

X X X X

Shuichi quickly left the mansion and headed back toward Hiei. It was easy enough to find him because of the numerous trees that were missing. That would always be where the little demon was. Shuichi waited a couple of minutes to make sure that Hiei wasn't going to kill him while he was training. The human walked along several trails of scars in the earth until he saw Hiei meditating under a waterfall. It brought a smile to Shuichi's face because he never thought that was what Hiei considered training.

The water from the river drifted off in different directions thanks to the new cuts in the earth. Shuichi could tell that Hiei was getting stronger because the damage the fire demon made every time he got back seemed to be bigger. He was thankful that this time Hiei wasn't laying on the ground, tired from exerting his body too much. As Shuichi got closer to Hiei, his eyes suddenly opened and his body tensed as energy from his body erupted in all directions. Shuichi ran behind a huge boulder. Rubble flew into the air and the wind blew viciously against him. A couple of minutes later, dust fell onto the ground and the wind settled.

Shuichi slowly peeked around the boulder to find that the huge rock was reduced to something just big enough to cover him in a crouched position. He looked to see where Hiei was standing to see him with his eyes now closed and his body relaxed.

"W-What's wrong with you! You could have killed me!" Shuichi shouted and stomped his foot on the ground. 'That's twice in one day I was almost killed.' Shuichi thought. Hiei didn't respond so Shuichi took a step toward him.

"Don't move," Hiei said. Shuichi stopped, wondering if there was a demon close by. Then, the jaganshi leapt off the ground to land a foot behind the human. Right after he left, the ground he stood on crumbled. The area kept caving in and didn't seem to stop. Shuichi fell on his behind as he moved back and tripped. The ground stopped falling in mere centimeters from Shuichi. He gave a sigh of relief. The human then turned around to yell at Hiei.

"What was that? Did you not hear me approaching?" Shuichi yelled.

"You were never in any danger. I tried to divert my energy away from this boulder," Hiei said as he looked at the rock.

"Tried? And what if you couldn't? I would be a burnt crisp by now! Look at this place. There's a huge crater on the ground and there are no more trees! You turned this place into a barren wasteland," Shuichi exclaimed. He only stopped ranting because Hiei fell onto the ground.

"No, not now! Hiei, wake up!" Shuichi yelled. This always happened when Hiei drained all his energy. Shuichi shook him roughly knowing full well that he wouldn't get up.

"I should bury you in a grave..." Shuichi threatened. However, anything like that would be futile since Hiei would be able to get out anyway. The human looked down to see that he was dirty, covered in dust and debris. 'After all I did for you...' he thought. Shuichi let the demon go and went to the nearest town to buy a shovel.

X X X X

Several hours later, a fire demon buried neck deep in the ground woke up. Night had fallen and Hiei wanted to get up. This was strange, why couldn't he move? And what was this strange weight on his head? Hiei moved his head around, only to have a bird peck his ear harshly. Hiei wanted to strangle the bird but realized his hands were buried. There was a nest on his head. Hiei had gathered most of his strength back by now and shot himself out of the ground. He grabbed the stupid nest on his head and threw it on the ground. However, his hair felt strange. He pulled his hand through his hair only to find a sticky substance on his fingers. 'Bird poo?' Hiei thought. The birds tried to attack him but he turned them into roast poultry with his flames. Oh look, a free meal. Hiei ate the birds and threw their bones on the floor. He went to look for Shuichi.

The human was about a mile away in a natural hot spring. He missed taking a bath. The last one he took was in that inn six months ago. It felt so good to stretch out and let his muscles soak in the hot water.

'Hn. Serves you right, Hiei. How can you just pass out like that after you nearly killed me? I hope some demon attacks you.' Shuichi thought. He couldn't believe he was thinking about him when he was alone in the springs. 'It's nice that he's not around.'

Shuichi held his breath underwater for as long as he could and then came back up. It felt nice to be completely soaked in the hot water out in the open. He swam around for a while and played with the water, splashing some of it here and there. 'It's more fun when there's someone to splash...' he thought. He looked around and suddenly felt too exposed. 'I hope there aren't any perverts around...'

Shuichi didn't know but there was a demon that was attracted by his scent. A big orange ogre was watching him, crouched behind the big leaves of the plants and shrubs. Shuichi was rubbing his face with a towel and the ogre licked his lips. He hadn't had nice meat like this in a long time. His flesh looked so soft and tasty. How nice of his prey to clean himself for him to eat. The ogre was practically drooling by the time Shuichi was cleaning his hair. The ogre couldn't wait anymore and wanted to eat him already. He got up but a hand stopped him.

The ogre turned around to see a short demon standing by his side. What was this tiny demon doing next to him? The ogre shoved Hiei's hand off of him and showed him his club. He would squash this insect because the human in the water was his dinner.

"That's my prey, get your own," the ogre growled loudly. Hiei was going to kill him but a whip shot through the leaves, strangled him and then beheaded the ogre. He made a gurgling sound before his body collapsed on the floor and his head rolled around near it.

"So you already knew he was here?" Hiei asked.

"Do you really think I'm that oblivious? He's a bright orange ogre trying to hide himself behind green leaves. Besides, even if I didn't see the orange eyesore, I would have noticed him when he growled at you," Shuichi said. Hiei looked at Shuichi and then at the hot spring. Suddenly, Hiei started taking off his clothes.

"W-what are you doing? Just because I'm naked doesn't mean - " Shuichi started but stopped when Hiei jumped in the water and started rubbing his hair in the spring. He was just trying to get the bird poo out.

"What are you talking about? Who would care for a scrawny thing like you? I'm just trying to get this crap out!"

"Hmph! It serves you right for passing out after nearly killing me! You should watch how you use your energy. Any demon could have attacked you while you were out," Shuichi said. "And you should be thankful that I didn't put tar in your hair so that the nest stuck PERMANENTLY."

"Thankful? You put a sign over my head that said 'Passer-bys, please hit this unconscious demon as many times as you want.'" Hiei said. Shuichi crossed his arms and looked away.

"I don't see why I even keep you around," Hiei said as he moved closer to Shuichi and grabbed his arm roughly.

"Wait! I know where the ice maidens are," Shuichi exclaimed. Hiei loosened his grip a bit to see if he was lying.

"Well, not their exact location, but I know where to look. I had to get this from a tough source so you should be thankful I even have a clue where they are!" Shuichi said. Hiei let the human go. He was surprised that the human could find a clue about where his sister was when he couldn't find a trace for three years.

"How do I know you're not lying?" Hiei asked. Shuichi was offended.

"Why would I lie? I've been searching for three months. With the connections I have there's nothing about jewels that I can't find info about," the human said proudly.

"Just tell me what you found out," Hiei demanded. After all this time, how could Hiei not trust him? Shuichi moved away from Hiei to distance himself. Hiei was glaring at him like the information was the most important thing in the world. Shuichi sighed.

"I'm tired of this barrier of mistrust we have between us. I'll tell you everything about me and you'll see why I know so much about jewels and about the Makai. However, you have to tell me what happened to you three months ago and why we're looking for hiruiseki and the koorime," Shuichi proposed. Hiei took some time to think before replying. He wasn't used to telling something personal about himself to other people. He knew the human would ask why he wanted to find the koorime sooner or later. He wasn't going to answer, but he needed the information Shuichi had.

"Fine, I'll tell you why we're looking for the ice maidens but I won't tell you her name."

"Fine, then I won't tell you his name either," Shuichi responded. Hiei was confused but he would probably explain later.

"You first," Shuichi said.

"Why?"

"It's not fair. You can tell if I'm lying but I can't tell if you are. If I'm satisfied with what I hear, even if it is a lie, I'll tell you all you want to know," Shuichi said.

"And if you're not satisfied?"

"Then you can try to get the info out of me any way you want," Shuichi replied. Hiei thought it over and nodded.

Hiei told Shuichi about his birth, that his mother was an ice maiden and that his father was a fire demon. The ice maiden they were looking for was his sister. Hiei revealed that he had been looking for her for three years and that he had the jagan implanted to find her. Shuichi asked about the tear that Hiei carried with him. Hiei told him that it was the tear gem of his mother. The jaganshi told Shuichi what happened with Toguro. Shuichi suspected that Hiei trained so much because he wanted revenge. However, he found out that Karasu was tied into all this so the search for the ice maidens now interested him as well.

"What are you going to do when you find Karasu?" Hiei asked.

"Kill him," Shuichi replied. Hiei scoffed, but didn't say anything since it didn't matter if the youth wasted his life as long as he got the information on the koorime.

"Now you."

Shuichi told Hiei about being raised by a demon, a very strong one, and living a very sheltered life with him. He then told him how he met Karasu and the reason he ran away was because of that demon. He told him about meeting his guardian again when Hiei was injured. The human told Hiei that it was over between them and that he was now traveling to find himself and learn how to survive on his own.

The human then told the fire demon how he got his info. Shuichi told Hiei about Kuronue. When they first met, he was still with his guardian. Kuronue was jealous of Shuichi because he was so close to his guardian. Kuronue tried to kill him but Kurama got in the way and saved him. Kurama didn't kill Kuronue because they started their careers together and were old friends. His guardian couldn't forgive Kuronue though so Kuronue was shocked when he saw Shuichi again. He then told Hiei about Kuronue's deductions.

"Auctions?" Hiei asked.

"Yeah. New hiruiseki are being sold there. We'll be able to find out information about the seller."

"Tarukane. He has the ice maidens," Hiei said. Shuichi was stumped.

"Well, if you knew that, then why did you tell me to find info on them if you already knew?" Shuichi said, trying to reign in his anger. And he almost got killed for this...

"I don't know where they're being kept," Hiei said tersely. "Now that I know where to look, I don't need you anymore. Shouldn't you go back to your guardian? If it's Karasu you want revenge on, I'll kill him for you like I said when we first met," Hiei said.

"What's that? You're worried about me?" Shuichi asked.

"I just don't want your guardian to blame me if you die," Hiei said.

"No, I won't go back. I've decided that I'd rather risk my life and see the world than remain in that sheltered life. I'm just going to follow you until we find Karasu. After that, I'll leave you alone."

"Suit yourself," Hiei said. They both didn't say another word and relaxed in the hot springs. Shuichi was looking at the sky and Hiei was looking at him. He noticed before that Shuichi was beautiful and wondered how any demon could raise him to be so innocent. The youth's hair stuck to his skin and his porcelain skin looked beautiful in the moonlight. His crimson hair brought out his cherry lips and Hiei's eyes lingered on them for a second before moving on. How did he ever end up with him as a companion?

"Aren't the skies pretty? Shuichi asked. Hiei looked up to see the stars twinkling down at him. It wasn't that long ago that he once stared at the same stars from another world and was all alone.

"Yeah."

X X X X

Yukina was staring at the same stars in her prison cell miles away. There were burn marks on her arms but that wasn't what had made her cry. The human named Tarukane put her in a casket with powerful demon wards lining the inside and locked her in there for a week. It hurt more than she ever thought it would but she never shed a tear. Physical torture was nothing. Her body naturally healed from wounds.

_The demon with the silver mask was the one who made her cry. He never hit her. Instead, he talked about all the things he had done to the demons he has met. The demon killed in gruesome ways and Yukina thought he would try that on her. It was fine if he killed her, she would rather die than make money for that greedy toad._

_She grew uncomfortable with the other demon. He kept moving his hands like he was replaying what he did to the victim in his head. She could hear his heartbeat go up and that he was excited just thinking about his victims._

_Then the raven haired demon moved on. He asked her about her family. She told him that her entire family was dead but he just smiled, though she couldn't see it. He then told her about his most recent target. He described him: his height, his red eyes, his spiky black hair with a white star-burst, his speed, and that he asked about hiruiseki. _

"_He had such beautiful eyes, like yours. You can't imagine how happy I was when I found him. He put up quite a fight, but I'm sure you don't want to hear about that. I'll tell you what I did to him after I got him on the ground. You see, he tried to shove me off him and clawed at my mask with his hands. Those arms were so troublesome, so I took his sword and pinned his arms over his head with it. He cried for the first time that night," Karasu stopped to chuckle. He then looked at Yukina. She had a bad feeling about this._

"_Well, since he wanted to see my face so badly, I obliged him," Karasu continued. He only paused to take off his mask and show his face to Yukina. Her face showed signs of fear as she felt his youki soar._

"_As you can see, I'm actually more dangerous with my mask off. Now where was I? Oh yes, the little demon pinned under me. He stopped screaming after a while but I wasn't done yet. His shirt was almost torn into pieces by our last battle, so I ripped the rest of it off. Now all that was left were those troublesome pants. He had two belts on but they wouldn't keep him safe from me. He tried to get away from me when I reached for his pants, but I just twisted the sword and he stopped squirming for a while. He was breathing so harshly and I hadn't even begun yet," Karasu stopped when he saw that Yukina covered her ears. He walked over to her as she tried to get away from him. He finally grabbed her and threw her on the table there. He took her arms and pinned them above her head. She tried to get free but she was powerless against him. He held her there as he continued his story._

"_Don't worry, I'm not interested in girls. I just want you to listen to my story. Where was I again? Oh yes, I easily ripped his pants off him and I climbed on top of him. He couldn't stop breathing normally so I thought I'd help him by giving him a kiss. He only struggled for a while before he relaxed beneath me. He tasted like... a sweet meat. Anyway, he was completely naked by now, so I took the opportunity to explore his body. He had trained very hard and I wanted to praise his body. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him. The muscles in his legs were very toned though. I could easily trace them with my finger. He tried to kick me this time, but I grabbed his thighs. You should have seen the look on his face when I had all his limbs immobilized. He squirmed some more, but it only aroused me. I pinned his legs to his shoulders with my torso and unzipped my pants," Karasu continued. Yukina was now desperately fighting to get him off. He held her easily and straddled her legs so that she couldn't fight against him._

"_Now now, you knew this part was coming. There's just a little more. It's rude to interrupt when I'm trying to share with you. As I was saying, I finally unzipped my pants and I prodded him some more with my hands and fingers. I tried kissing him again but he bit me, so I bit him back on his neck. He gasp and moved against me. There was blood coming out of where I bit him and I drank it eagerly. It wasn't as sweet as I hoped, but it was still tasty. He cried and begged me to stop. I slapped him for his insolence. Demons shouldn't beg, it's unbecoming. But I forgave him because he looked so good under me. There was blood on his arms, his neck, and his lips. He looked good enough to eat, so I tasted him some more. I moved down and tasted his chest. I listened as his heart beat faster and faster. The little demon cried again when I bit his nipple and drew blood. His warm blood tasted good against his cool skin. All his cries were so arousing and I couldn't take it anymore. He only needed to bleed in one more place. So I pulled him toward me and -"_

"_Stop it! Stop it!" Yukina cried and there were tears falling from her eyes. Karasu frowned as the jewels hit the floor with a clatter._

"_Aw, that's it? I was hoping I'd get to tell my whole story. Fine, then I'll just give you the abbreviated version." He moved closer until his mouth was by her ear and whispered._

"_I fucked him harshly. Twice in the ass on his back and then once more on his knees with the hilt of his sword. He didn't seem fun anymore so I killed him by exploding a bomb by his chest." Karasu finished and got off of her. There was a new wave of tears after he finished._

"_Ne, don't you still have a brother, Yukina-chan?" he asked. She stayed on the table and didn't move._

"_Aw, did I traumatize you?" Karasu asked. Then he burst into laughter._

"_Don't worry about your brother. I just made all this up. He's still alive," Karasu revealed. Yukina didn't know if she believed him or not._

"_It's amazing the things I have to say to get you to cry," Karasu said as he left the cell._

That was several months ago and she hadn't seen him since. After that, Tarukane sent in other demons to torture her other ways. They found that she was emotionally weak and they found her weak spot with forest animals and served her their dead bodies every night.

"Why was I thinking about that now?" Yukina asked herself. She wondered if her brother was still alive and out there looking for her.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

A/N: I've already started on the next chapter but once again, no promises as to when I'll update. I suppose it'll take longer to write because it's nearing the end.


	7. Freedom

A/N: Italics means a flashback in case you couldn't tell from the previous chapter.

lazy fat kitsune: I tried updating once every week but... that's not going to happen. And yeah Hiei's a jerk, but you might see his true feelings in this chapter.

Red Kitsune Flames: Aww, thank you. Yeah, Karasu meets all the characters cuz he's my favorite villain :) (Guess who gets to kill him)

tbiris: Don't worry, Yukina will be saved.

Katsume18: Hope you like this chapter. I think it's a bit short though.

Serenity of Paradise: Yay, a new reviewer. I'm always happy to hear from new people.

CrimsonFox: Another new reviewer. Goodie. I'm glad you like it. Hiei and Shuichi get closer in this chapter.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

The first of the five auctions that were to take place was held on an isolated island not far from Kuronue's mansion. Hiei and Shuichi were easily let in because of the pass the bat demon gave them. Of course, neither bought anything since they couldn't afford to. Hiei noticed that there were hiruiseki in the auctions, but no one would tell him where they came from, even after he threatened them.

Shuichi took another approach. He knew that in a place full of big egos and rich people, he could get information on Tarukane by flattering and charming them. Although many of the humans easily told him what they knew, most only knew Tarukane through business and had no idea where his mansion was. By the end of the auction, Hiei and Shuichi knew nothing more about the whereabouts of Yukina.

Two weeks later, the second auction took place in a concert hall. There were mainly instruments and art pieces in the auction. Tarukane only had one painting on sale. It was mostly in hues of red and it was an abstract piece of art. Hiei had no interest in it since it wasn't a tear gem. He went around trying to threaten people for information again. Shuichi looked at the artwork again, wondering why it gave him such a chill.

"A wonderful piece of art, isn't it?" a voice behind him asked. Shuichi turned around to see a young man with long black hair behind him.

"Oh, um, yes. The artist seems to have been very passionate when he made this. The brush strokes are very bold and the splattered paint seems to cover most of the canvas. The painting almost has a... violent aura around it," Shuichi said. The other man smiled.

"You seem to understand the painting well," he said.

"Are you going to bid on this?" Shuichi asked. The other man chuckled.

"No. I've just come to admire Tarukane's handiwork and his creativeness. He finds new ways to deliver to his clients," he said. Shuichi was surprised he found someone who knew something about Tarukane so soon.

"What do you know about him? It seems you know something about this elusive seller."

"Tarukane is a very secretive person. I am just a fellow businessman observing my rival's work," he said. "I do hope you find what you're looking for," he said before he left. Shuichi wanted to ask him more but he was already gone. Hiei found him a few minutes later.

"This is a waste of time. There are no tear gems here. There's only that stupid painting," Hiei grumbled. "Did you find anything?"

"I was looking at the painting when someone came over and talked about Tarukane. He didn't say anything about him, but I got the feeling he knew more than he led on. He disappeared before I could ask him more though," Shuichi revealed. This interested Hiei.

"Describe him."

"Well, he's human, about my height, he had long black hair, and... faintly smelled like cigarettes," Shuichi said. 'Sakyo?' Hiei thought.

"Does it mean anything to you?" Shuichi asked. Hiei didn't answer but left to look for him. The fire demon looked all around the hall and even used his jagan, but it seemed the human mysteriously disappeared.

Hiei found Shuichi later and the second auction passed without the duo finding any more information about Tarukane or the ice maidens.

X X X X

There were two agents of the Reikai observing the city drowned in blood and sin. They were both humans but had unnaturally powerful spirit power. One had black hair slicked back with gel and the other had bright reddish-orange hair. They were sent here with one mission - to put Tarukane out of business.

One crouched down with binoculars and tried to find a weak point in the security. The other was looking any demons that could have spotted them. Fortunately, the two were not found and the security in the place was lax. No one in their right mind would want to infiltrate this place anyway.

Yusuke put the binoculars away and the two made their way closer to the city. It was a rather large place with many winding streets and dead ends. They split up and tried to damage the city as much as they could. The black-haired youth inconspicuously jumped from building to building, trying to destroy what he could with his rei-gun. The sounds of collapsing buildings and screams alerted the occupants of the city that they were under attack.

The demons set aside their knives and needles to deal with the two intruders. However, as the demon residents of the city stuck their head out to see what was wrong, a sword made of spirit energy cut their heads off. Kuwabara was making his way into buildings and trying to slaughter as many torturers as he could. As he charged his way through the underground tunnels, a flurry of blue hair caught his attention. He turned his eyes to see a bunch of koorimes imprisoned behind warded bars. They shrank away from him when he approached them.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here to destroy this city and save you," Kuwabara said. With two slices of his sword, the bars fell apart and freed the ice maidens. The girls quickly fled but one stopped to tell Kuwabara that there were more in cells further below. Kuwabara quickly made his way down the dimly-lit stairs, slicing demons out of his way.

He tried to free as much maidens as he could and was out of breath by the time he made it to the last cell. He lifted his sword to cut the lock and kicked open the door. He was surprised when he was met with a gust of freezing wind.

"C-cold!" Kuwabara cried. He looked in the room to see a petite maiden with glowing white eyes glare at him. Once she saw his whole figure, she dropped her icy demeanor and the room warmed up by several degrees.

After she calmed down, Kuwabara could see that she had the most beautiful red eyes he had ever seen. She was so heavenly and beautiful. He wanted to say something but couldn't put any words together.

"Who are you?" she asked. 'Kyaa! She even sounds so beautiful!' Kuwabara thought. He cleared his thought and his brain seemed to work again.

"I am Kazuma Kuwabara, savior of the innocent and destroyer of evil. I have come to take you away from this miserable place," Kuwabara exclaimed. He leaned down to take her hand. She hesitantly put her hand in his. It was warmer and softer than he expected. 'Ah! Just as expected from a beautiful maiden. She's so delicate!' he thought.

"M-may I ask your name?"

"Yukina," she responded daintily.

"Y-Yukina-san. What a beautiful name for such an angelic maiden!"

"Um, shouldn't we get out of here?" she asked politely. He got back up and clutched both of her arms into his chest.

"Don't worry about those demons. Just stay close to me and I, Kazuma Kuwabara will valiantly protect you!" he declared.

"Y-yes," Yukina responded. He led her out of the dungeon and led her outside just seconds before the building collapsed. It seemed Yusuke was randomly firing at buildings.

"Urameshi! I was still in there!" Kuwabara screeched. He then remembered that Yukina was still by his side.

"Ahem. I mean, you should be careful where you fire. You should learn to be more responsible, like me," he said. Yukina smiled at him and he blushed. Yusuke landed beside him and punched him in the head.

"Oi. What are you doing? We were ordered to destroy this place. What are you doing with a bunch of girls?" Yusuke asked. Kuwabara wanted to choke him but didn't want to seem barbaric in front of the girl of his dreams.

"The safety of innocent souls is more important than the mission," Kuwabara said in his gentlest voice. Yusuke hit him again.

"What's wrong with you? Did you get hit on the head with a brick or something?" Yusuke asked. Kuwabara didn't know how long he could keep restraining himself from hitting the youth next to him.

"No, I was rescuing these lovely maidens," Kuwabara said. Yusuke saw the ice maiden beside his friend and smirked at him.

"Oh, I see," Yusuke said. He was going to tease his friend some more but then a huge ball of youki was fired at them. Yusuke sensed it and grabbed the maiden and pulled her to safety. Kuwabara sensed the attack at the last second and barely dodged it. When he got himself together, he couldn't help but feel jealous that Yusuke was the one that saved Yukina.

Across from them was a demon dressed in all black with a silver mask over his face. He was ready to send several more bombs their way. The two got ready for battle but a girl's scream got their attention. The maidens that Kuwabara rescued were being captured by other demons. The redhead tried to save them but he felt two sharp pains in his chest. He collapsed on the floor. Yukina and Yusuke both rushed toward him. Kuwabara turned his head to see that another demon with wavy dirty hair was pulling his extended fingers back toward his body. The redhead wanted to fight him again but Yusuke stopped him.

"I sense another power heading our way. It's incredible..." Yusuke said. Kuwabara felt it too. There was no way they could take on three powerful demons at once. Yusuke already spent half his energy trying to destroy the city and now Kuwabara was stabbed twice in the chest.

"Please help my friends," Yukina pleaded. The Reikai agents turned their heads to see that most of the maidens were captured. Yusuke killed the demons that were trying to get the rest of the koorime.

"We have to go now. We'll come back when we're refreshed," Yusuke yelled at Kuwabara. They both hated to run from a battle but they had no choice. Yusuke gathered the remaining maidens and Kuwabara ran with Yukina. Karasu sent more bombs toward them to block their path but Yusuke shot them out of the way. Yukina took one last look at Karasu before Kuwabara pulled her to safety.

Karasu moved over to Toguro Ani.

"It seems Tarukane won't like this," Karasu said.

"Hee hee hee. I think I found something that caught my interest," the elder Toguro brother said.

X X X X

Hiei and Shuichi were resting in a cave. The rain was pouring mercilessly and erratic bolts of lightning lit up the sky. The fire inside the cave was almost dying out but that didn't bother the demon. Shuichi was already asleep and the fire has served its purpose of keeping them warm and giving off light. Hiei was watching the last dying embers when a violent thunderclap roared its way into the tunnels of the cave. Shuichi shivered and shifted his head so that it rested more comfortably on Hiei's lap. The movement distracted the jaganshi. He looked down to see that Shuichi was now lying on his side with his face turned away from the demon. A loose strand of hair fell onto Shuichi's lips so Hiei moved it back behind the human's ear. Hiei couldn't help running his fingers through the soft ruby mane. The fire demon looked at Shuichi's profile and wondered how someone so beautiful could be so entangled with him.

The fire demon's fingers freed themselves from the lustrous hair and trailed lower. They traveled down the youth's side and stopped at the hem of his shirt. Hiei traced a finger over the skin exposed between the shirt and his hip bone. Shuichi shifted but didn't wake. He grew bolder and slid the shirt halfway up the youth's torso. His hand explored the smooth chest and stopped at a nipple to rub it between his fingers. Shuichi moaned but once again didn't awake. Hiei had wondered what the teen felt like since that day at the inn. He had noticed his beauty much earlier but wasn't interested in him until Shuichi showed him that he wasn't a weak human.

Hiei's fingers stopped after Shuichi's nipple hardened and traveled down again but stopped when he reached just below his stomach. His hand stayed there as his eyes took in Shuichi's lithe figure. There wasn't a flaw in this creature's body. Now he knew why Karasu was so interested in this human. It would be a lie to say that Hiei hadn't thought of taking the youth at one time. He could always do it by force but had no interest in an unwilling partner. His thumb brushed against the skin to illicit a reaction. The teen gasped and moved against his hand. He was really sensitive there. Hiei removed his hand from the youth's body and pulled his shirt back down. He leaned his head against the cavern wall and sighed. 'How did it end up like this?' he thought.

_The third and fourth auction went by without any hiruiseki up for bids or any other items sold by Tarukane. Hiei was extremely pissed by the lack of information. Near the end of the fourth auction, Hiei claimed that it was a waste of time and stormed off. Shuichi was more optimistic and tried to get answers out of the other sellers. There was one seller that had other jewels up for bid so Shuichi talked to him. The seller was definitely interested in Shuichi and offered to buy him a drink._

_The two talked for a while about petty things until Shuichi asked about hiruiseki. The other man knew Shuichi was looking for information so he drew out the conversation as long as possible. He made sure Shuichi had more than enough drinks than he could handle. When the teenager's words started to slur a bit, the man brought him up to his room. Shuichi had no idea what was happening as the man started to take off his clothes. His eyes couldn't focus on the room and his head felt like it was spinning. He was thankful when he fell upon a soft bed but had no idea what the other man had in store for him. As the seller tried to get on top of the teen, an angry fire demon interrupted this process. The jaganshi threw him off of Shuichi and tried to shake some sense into the drunken youth. Hiei asked the other man what he did to the teen but he wouldn't answer; so Hiei killed him._

_The fire demon put Shuichi's clothes back on and carried him out of the room. Hiei bumped the human around here and there since the fire demon thought he deserved it after leaving him and was stupid enough to almost get raped. As they left the fourth auction, it started to pour so Hiei looked for shelter and found an empty cave. Hiei dumped the teen on the cave floor and went out to look for dry wood. It was easy for the little demon to gather twigs since he could agilely move through the trees. When he returned, Shuichi was still lying on the floor. _

_The fire demon ignored him for now and put the dry wood in the middle of the floor and lit them on fire. It took a few minutes before there was a blaze strong enough to emit heat and light. By then Shuichi managed to sit in an upright position and support himself on a cavern wall. The rain was getting stronger and the winds had picked up. Although they were out of the rain, the cold wind still blew into the cave occasionally. Shuichi's clothes were still a little damp and he shivered in them._

"_Hiiieei, I'm cooold," Shuichi complained. Hiei looked over at him and saw that he was still a little drunk. He didn't sit straight and Hiei could still smell alcohol on the youth's breath._

"_Take off your clothes, they're still wet," Hiei responded. Shuichi nodded his head and then tried to take off his shirt. He fumbled around with it and was stuck when he got the hem of the shirt over his head but couldn't get his arms out of the shirt. The teen laid down on the floor and tried to slither out of the shirt but he twisted it around him as he tried to get out. He struggled for a while, entangled in his shirt, until Hiei got up to help him. The jaganshi told him to stay still and Hiei unwound the shirt around Shuichi and took it off in less than a minute. Shuichi giggled when he saw Hiei leaning over him._

"_Heh. This is a goooood position," Shuichi slurred. Hiei ignored him and got up to put the damp shirt close to the fire._

"_Heeey, are you trrrryying to burn my clooothes?" Shuichi asked. Hiei didn't answer again as he moved himself away from the human. The teen slowly and clumsily got up and crawled over to Hiei. He tried to get his shirt away from the fire but Hiei stopped him._

"_It's drying," Hiei said curtly. Shuichi let this thought sink in and decided that a warm shirt would be better than a wet one. He nodded again and moved back. He stayed close to Hiei since the fire demon always seemed to be warm._

_Minutes passed and neither said anything. The only noises reverberating throughout the cave were the rain hitting the ground, the thunder of the skies, and the wind that swayed the plant life outside. Hiei was trying to sleep, leaning against the wall with one leg bent and resting his arm on his knee. He was always alert and ready if an enemy should attack. He was surprised when he felt something soft rest on his shoulder. Hiei opened his eyes to see Shuichi resting his head on his shoulder. The fire demon was surprised that he didn't even sense the youth's approach. 'Have I really dropped my guard that much around him?' Hiei asked himself._

"_What the hell are you doing?" Hiei asked. He was ready to push the human away from him when the teen turned his head so that they were facing each other. Hiei was caught off guard by the emerald eyes. They were unlike anything he had ever seen. They were so soft and gentle but had such a sad tint to them. Light reflecting off those eyes gave them a shine and glimmer that he hadn't noticed until now. Hiei's red eyes traced every curve and line on Shuichi's face. The little demon couldn't help but notice that their lips were mere centimeters apart. He could even smell the other's breath. There was still a faint trace of alcohol on the youth's breath but not strong enough to repel Hiei._

"_It's a bit chilly in here and you're warm, so..." Shuichi started but didn't finish his line of thought. Instead, he wrapped his arms around the demon's waist and buried his face in the other's neck. Intimacy was something new to the demon, so Hiei stiffened. They stayed like that for only a few minutes until Hiei pulled away._

"_If you were still cold, you could've told me sooner," Hiei said. Shuichi did feel cold against him and he suspected that the alcohol made the human feel worse. Hiei got up and moved toward the fire. The shirt was dry by now and he gave it to Shuichi. The human slowly put the shirt on and then resumed his position on Hiei's shoulder. Hiei opened his mouth to complain but Shuichi put his mouth over the demon's. The jaganshi was shocked but that didn't stop the human from moving his tongue around Hiei's. The fire demon loosened up and started kissing him back. Shuichi moved his arms around Hiei's neck and closed any space between them. The kiss lasted only a few minutes when Shuichi broke the kiss and slumped against Hiei's chest. The fire demon couldn't believe it. Shuichi fell asleep. The bitter taste of alcohol was now in his mouth. _

_He moved the human so that his head rested in his lap. Hiei didn't know why he was being so nice to this little brat that fell asleep while they were kissing. Hiei took off his cloak, folded it, and put it under the human's head._

That was a few hours ago and the human slept comfortably since then. Hiei couldn't sleep and pondered his life with Shuichi. Look at the things that he let Shuichi get away with. The teen buried him, argued with him, ignored him, and now made out with him. The jaganshi didn't know why he put up with any of it. Usually, he should be dead by now. Hiei knew that this human was slowly creeping into his heart. If things kept going this way, the fire demon knew that it would be dangerous to keep him around. 'I don't need him anymore,' Hiei decided. The fire demon lifted his left hand and sharpened his nails. He was going to get rid of this burden once and for all. Just as he was about to bring his hand down onto the human's neck, he felt a tug in his heart. He stopped right before Shuichi's carotid artery. _"You should learn to soften your heart, child. Even someone as strong as you needs someone to ease your pain."_ Hiei snorted as he remembered what that old demon said a while ago. The jaganshi softened his hand and put it back by his side.

"What pain, old man?" Hiei lied to himself. The little demon looked down at the innocent creature reclined on his lap and stroked his hair one last time. He kept denying to himself that Shuichi meant anything special. 'There's only enough space in my heart for one person, and that's Yukina,' Hiei thought.

The next morning, Shuichi groaned as he felt a thumping pain in his head. The sunlight that hit his eyes hurt as he turned on Hiei's lap to avoid it. He was comfortable where he was and didn't want to get up and greet the day. He thought he heard someone calling him, but why was it so loud? 'Is Hiei right next to me?' Shuichi wondered. It almost felt like Hiei was right on top of him. He slowly opened his eyes to see a black shirt. Confused, he tilted his head upward to see a sideways Hiei look back at him. He stiffened when he realized he had been sleeping on the little demon all night. Shuichi got up as quickly as he could and received a head rush for doing so. He moaned as he put his hand to his head in an attempt to stop the pain. 'What the hell happened last night?' he wondered.

Hiei was non flustered as he gratefully got up and stretched his legs. He hadn't been able to move those limbs all night and was glad that he was finally able to do so. Shuichi was going through his memories and trying to figure out what happened. He remembered meeting a snobby seller and having a lot of drinks. There was a bed involved and... he couldn't remember anything after that for a while. The human looked around the cave and remembered being brought there after it started to rain. He looked outside to see that the storm had passed. Shuichi looked around the cave to try to recall anything else. His eyes fell upon the burnt wood and he remembered taking off his shirt, having Hiei on top of him, and then later kissing the fire demon. He blushed intensely after these thoughts and tried to put some words together. He looked at the jaganshi to see him stretch his muscles and ignore him. 'Did it really happen? Hiei's acting so indifferent. Maybe it was all a dream...' Shuichi rationalized. 'But then why did I wake up on his lap?'

"Are you fully awake yet?" Hiei asked.

"Uh... yeah," Shuichi responded. He wanted to ask what happened earlier but couldn't work up the nerve to do so.

"You hit your head while I carried you out of the last auction. I didn't want you complaining this morning so I let you sleep on my lap," Hiei explained.

"Oh. Thanks," Shuichi said. Of course there would be a logical explanation for it. 'It's not as if I mean anything to him other than an informant,' Shuichi sadly thought. 'So it was just another dream.'

"So did you get that asshole to tell you anything last night?" Hiei asked. At first Shuichi didn't know what he meant but then realized he was talking about the seller.

"Just that Tarukane was planning to sell a lot of things at the last auction, not just hiruiseki."

X X X X

One week after the fourth auction, the fifth one took place on a luxury cruise line. It was said to the the best and have the most items for bid. Shuichi and Hiei boarded the ship without trouble and once again looked for Tarukane. It was strange that the seller had never once shown up at any of auctions and neither did his henchmen. Hiei hoped that Tarukane would show his face so that he could beat the shit out of him. He was also hoping he would see Toguro again so he could pay him back. This was his last chance to find any trace of Yukina. Hiei looked around to find that Shuichi had already mingled with the other guests and acted like he was one of the very affluent. The little demon was amazed at his grace, beauty, and eloquence. Whoever raised Shuichi was a fool to let him go.

Shuichi was aware that Hiei was watching him and was surprised. He thought that the fire demon would looking for people to intimidate. Shuichi didn't allow Hiei's presence to disturb his manner and kindly talked amongst the other guests. When the auction finally started, Shuichi knew that the auction held some clue to Hiei's sister's whereabouts. The guests were so excited at what Tarukane had to sell. Shuichi knew that the items someone sold gave clues as to where the seller went. So far the only thing other than hiruiseki that Tarukane had up for bid was that painting that gave him a chill.

The first couple of items up weren't put in by Tarukane, so he ignored them. The first item sold by Tarukane was a pair of knives that had a very weird design to them. The tips curled slightly and the blades had edges to them that stuck out. Sticking the knife in would hurt, but taking it out would hurt much more. Next up by Tarukane was another abstract painting but this time in hues of blue and purple. Once again, Shuichi felt a chill in his spine. Shuichi took mental notes of everything Tarukane put up for bid. There were various rare demon body parts for sale. He knew from Kurama what some of those things did. The eyes of psychic demon would increase someone's luck by fifty percent for one day if ingested. Nails from a powerful lion demon coated with an ogre's blood would be fine ingredients to forge a powerful sword.

There were other rare items that sold in the millions. What bothered Shuichi the most about these items were that they seemed fresh. How could Tarukane travel the world for these demon parts and keep them so well preserved? Some of the items even came from the Makai. The items were just as rare as hiruiseki and just as hard to get. Tarukane would have to torture the demons to get them or forcefully take them out of a demon's body. They weren't run of the mill trolls either, they were hard to catch. He was putting his thoughts together when Hiei approached him.

"Just as I thought. Tarukane didn't show his ugly face," Hiei said.

"Hiei, that painting for sale; was the paint blood?" Shuichi asked. Hiei thought about it for a while.

"Yeah. It's dragon's blood mixed with a little human blood. Now that I think about it, that painting earlier was also drawn with blood," Hiei said. Fear crept onto Shuichi's face. The dragon's blood confirmed it all. Tarukane didn't torture these demons one by one, he caught them all and extracted the rarities all at once. There was only one place in the Ningenkai that had a dragon buried in a cave under a city. Kurama warned Shuichi to never go there. Shuichi knew where Hiei's sister was being kept but didn't know if he should tell him.

Hiei knew that Shuichi was hiding something from him. The fear resonating in his body gave it away. Hiei had a feeling it had something to do with Tarukane. If Shuichi wasn't going to tell him, he would use his jagan. Hiei made a move to take off his headband when Shuichi stopped him.

"Hiei, I know where Tarukane is keeping the koorime," Shuichi slowly said. He lowered his head and tried to put words together that wouldn't enrage him. How could he tell Hiei that his sister was being held in a city that was famous for its torturing techniques?

"I'm not some fragile human, where is she?" Hiei demanded.

"I've only been there once and was warned never to go there again and believe me, I don't want to. The... city, if you can even call it that, doesn't formally have a name. I just refer to it as hell," Shuichi explained.

"Where is it?" Hiei yelled. He was so close to his sister. He needed to know where she was.

"I'll take you there," the human said, avoiding eye contact.

The two ran south as quickly as Shuichi could go without rest. The teen knew that Hiei was excited to find his sister but Shuichi knew that Hiei wouldn't be so excited if he knew what that place was like. They reached the place in two days and stopped about a mile away from the city. Hiei stopped and watched with his jagan from the distance. Even this far away, he could smell the stench of blood, both demon and human. He couldn't see his sister but already knew that she was being shielded from his view. If this city of torture and blood was where Yukina was being held, her pain would be nothing compared to what he would inflict on Tarukane and whoever lived in that hellhole.

Shuichi quietly watched Hiei a couple of feet behind him. He couldn't imagine the thoughts going through the jaganshi's mind after finding this out. Hiei would probably find his sister now and leave him. Shuichi couldn't help but feel a bit sad that their journey together was over. He wanted to say something, to express how he felt, but he knew that Hiei's thoughts were preoccupied with his sister. Hiei made a move to charge into the city, but Shuichi stretched out his hand to stop him.

The fire demon didn't know why, but he didn't move when Shuichi grabbed him. It would be easy enough to break his grasp, but he didn't. He knew Yukina would be waiting for him down below but stayed so Shuichi could say something.

The human didn't know why he grabbed onto his companion. He just wanted to say something before they departed ways. There was a pain building around his heart and threatened to pierce it. Shuichi wanted to grab Hiei and kiss him but didn't know how Hiei would react. He said the only thing he could think of at the moment that would be appropriate.

"Be careful. I hope you find your sister," Shuichi said. Hiei didn't respond. He removed his hand from Shuichi's and headed toward the city. Revenge was the only thing on Hiei's mind right now. When Hiei moved away from Shuichi, the human felt like his heart had been shattered into pieces again. A wetness formed in his eyes and he let gravity pull it toward the ground. He sat on the ground and prepared to watch the city turn into debris. If anyone could come out of that place alive, it was Hiei.

"I love you," Shuichi said. His second love confession went unheard again by his loved one.

"Why, Shuichi, I love you too," a voice behind him said. The youth stiffened as he felt a cold hand close around his neck.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

A/N:Smile: Yes, I know I'm evil for leaving it off here.


	8. Pain

A/N: Most of the events that take place in this chapter occur around the same time. Since everyone is kind of spread out, remember that almost everything is happening simultaneously. WARNING: kinda dark..

Su da 'mazin bannana eater: horny emo kid or horny sex machine? what have you been reading? lol i'm glad you like my story.

birth stained scarlet: i guess you're a kuwabara fan? me too! well, not as much as hieixkurama but... almost.

lazy fat kitsune: sorry i've taken a while to update...

red kitsune flames: thank you. :)

shuuichikitsune: sad? well, it gets worse in this chapter. don't hate me!

dark-kitsune-dreams: wow. :blush: so much praise. i think it's only a 'breath of fresh air' cuz it's an AU.

gray wings: with a kurama on top? hmm... that's a nice image...

katsume18: hope you like the chapter. i wrote as fast as my inspiration came to me.

serenity of paradise: you wonder who? you should be able to figure out who's behind shuichi. well, you'll find out soon enough.

crimson fox: super hot? aww, all they did was kiss...

tbiris: yes, karasu

roy mustang-chan: i like fma too! wow, you were referred to this?

fayeheart: thanks.

liz: here's the next chapter! it's rather... dark.

X X X X X X X X X X

Shuichi struggled against his captor, fighting for air as the cold hand closed around his larynx. Small gagging sounds escaped his mouth as he started to lose consciousness and the will to fight back. His captor pulled him back against him as fading green eyes met excited violet ones. Karasu held the human against his chest as he watched Shuichi's face struggle to stay awake. 'Hiei. Hiei just left. Maybe I can still...' Shuichi thought as his thoughts trailed off and a darkness started to overtake his senses. The human's body ceased movement as it went limp in the crow's grasp.

Karasu smiled behind his mask and stroked the teen's ruby hair. He intensely enjoyed watching the blood tint the human's face a soft red as his prey fought for freedom. Shuichi's eyes had also started to turn red as the tiny veins in his eyeballs yearned for oxygen. Karasu traced the youth's lips with his finger, remembering the sweet taste of blood on those lips. He now watched in fascination as a calmness returned to the teen's face and his skin started to return to its pale complexion. He started to breathe normally after a few minutes. Karasu smiled as the human's body returned to normal. That was good, he wanted Shuichi fully alert of everything that went on when Karasu finally got him in more... appropriate surroundings. The crow only wanted to scare him and see the fear in his face when he realized that he was caught again and this time, Karasu was going to make sure no one interrupted them. Shuichi looked so beautiful and innocent laying there in his arms, well, not for long. Most of Karasu's prey never leave him alive and not scarred. The demon lifted his prey gently, not wanting to spoil him before he arrived at a more private environment.

X X X X

In an old Japanese shrine lived two Reikai detectives and housed a petite ice maiden. The other few koorime that were saved were sent back to the floating island in the sky in the Makai. Yukina didn't want to return, to Kuwabara's delight. She had left her home in search for her brother but was caught and sold to Tarukane. Now that she was freed, she wanted to continue her search for her brother. A barrier was placed around the shrine so that Tarukane couldn't locate the ice maiden, nor could any other demon.

"Wh-what do you mean you want to leave?" a heartbroken Kuwabara asked.

"I hope you understand, I've been locked away for almost four years now and I have to continue my search for my brother," Yukina gently explained.

"But, you just left that hellhole! I can't have a young lady like you wandering around this dangerous world all alone! What if something happens to you again? I won't be able to live knowing that you are in danger," Kuwabara exclaimed.

"Please, Kazuma-san. I would just like to see him at least once. I hope you understand, he is the only family I have left."

"What kind of a brother is he, to just leave you like that? Isn't it his responsibility to protect his little sister?" Kuwabara asked. Yukina seemed to be depressed after hearing this.

"Uh... um, I mean, maybe he was looking for you while you were imprisoned. I'm sure he wouldn't leave you there if he knew where you were. He wouldn't just forget about you like that!" Kuwabara reasoned.

"Maybe. But, I'm not sure he even knows he has a sister. We were separated at birth and I have no idea what he looks like. I only recently discovered that I had a brother. Maybe no one ever told him," Yukina said.

"S-so what are you going to do once you find him?" Kuwabara asked. Yukina was surprised at this question.

"I don't really know. I've spent a lot of time looking for him but I guess... I don't really know what I'm going to do. I just want to see him and let him know that he has a sister that loves him," Yukina said. Kuwabara was near tears.

"T-that's so beautiful, Yukina-san. Your brother is lucky to have such a kind, gentle, and beautiful sister like you!" he cried. Yukina smiled kindly at her savior.

"Thank you, Kazuma-san. However, I do have one request before I leave," Yukina said.

"Anything at all!" Kuwabara exclaimed.

"The other koorime that are still back there... I was hoping that you and Yusuke-san could rescue them too. It just wouldn't feel right looking for my brother when my other people are still imprisoned," Yukina said.

"Of course we will go back. How can we leave Yukina-san's friends in a place like that?" Kuwabara asked. A knock disturbed their concentration as they looked over to the door to see Yusuke beckoning Kuwabara. The detective had been waiting outside for a while, giving the two privacy, but he couldn't wait any longer. Kuwabara sensed his urgency and turned to Yukina. He grasped both her small hands in his bigger ones and held them to his chest.

"Please, Yukina-san, do not leave this place. I don't want you feeling imprisoned again but we've put up a barrier around this place so Tarukane can't find you. You can walk anywhere around the shrine as long as you don't leave the entrance to this temple. I will come back for you when all your friends are saved and Tarukane is taken care of. After that, we can look for your brother together. A-and m-maybe later we c-can" a swift blow to the head put a stop to Kuwabara's words as Yusuke smiled sheepishly at Yukina and dragged his friend outside. The teenager dragged his friend all the way until they reached the pond and thrust his friend into it. Frantic movements broke the serenity of the water as the orange headed youth awoke and flailed around like a fish caught on a hook.

"Ack! H-help, Urameshi! I can't swim!" Kuwabara cried out. Yusuke couldn't believe it as he watched dumbfounded on land.

"It's a fuckin' pond! Just stand up!" Yusuke screamed. The jerking arms stopped moving as Kuwabara let his feet touch the bottom of the lake and he realized that he was only chest deep in water. He blushed at his own stupidity and then turned hostile at his friend.

"You idiot! What were you trying to do?" Kuwabara screamed as he ran as fast as he could to hit Yusuke. The other teen playfully dodged the blows as his comrade tried to take his head off. Kuwabara finally got one good hit in and sent the other teen flying a good ten feet back.

"Hah! Serves you right for interrupting me and Yukina-san!" Kuwabara said. He was answered with a blow to his face. He stumbled back as Yusuke got back on his feet.

"I had to do something to get you away from her. From the way you were acting, I thought you wanted to marry her or something," Yusuke said. Kuwabara had gotten back up and wanted to say something back but Yusuke hit it right on the head. He blushed a little when he realized how transparent his actions have been. What if Yukina noticed too and said no?

"Oh my god! You were going to propose to her!" Yusuke realized. He went over to his friend and slapped him playfully on the back.

"Wow! I guess this is what they call love at first sight, right? I mean, you've only known her for a couple of day and you want to marry her already? You better hope that brother of hers she wants to find so badly likes you as well," Yusuke said.

"W-we'll get to know each other better when we're off finding her brother. I'm sure he's probably just like Yukina-san. He'll be calling me big bro soon enough!" Kuwabara beamed. Yusuke wished his friend all the happiness as he teased him some more before getting down to business.

"So what was so important that you had to pull me away from her?" Kuwabara asked. Yusuke turned serious as all the playfulness left him.

"Yukina wants us to go back to that city, right? I wanted to go back anyway to pay those demons back for ambushing us. That last youki we sensed before we left worried me. We didn't get to see him, but from his power level, we know that he's pretty strong. It's our duty as Reikai detectives to take him out," Yusuke said. Kuwabara agreed as he thought back to the demon that stabbed him in the back. His pride wouldn't let it go that he was attacked and couldn't sense it coming. He also didn't like getting hit from behind.

"When do you want to go back?" Kuwabara asked.

"As soon as we can. Yukina will be safe here but we need to train some more if we want to protect her from that demon. We should take him out as soon as we're strong enough to do so," Yusuke said. Kuwabara nodded.

"Where do we train? I sensed some demons in this forest approaching the shrine. Maybe we can fight with them," Kuwabara suggested.

"No. They're too weak. We'll have to train ourselves as we head back to the city. It's takes about three days to travel, so that's all the time we have," Yusuke said.

"What? Why do we have to get ready by then?" Kuwabara wondered.

"Those demons you sensed were probably sent by Tarukane. It's been a while since we rescued Yukina and the other maidens. I'm sure it'll only be a few days before we're discovered and that demon is sent after us. Instead, let's take the offensive and attack them," Yusuke explained. Kuwabara agreed and they packed a few belongings. He said a tearful goodbye to Yukina before Yusuke dragged him out and they headed back into hell.

X X X X

Hiei's legs carried him as fast as they could as he stormed into the city that housed the sadistic and cruel demons. His jagan burned furiously as he anxiously looked over the city to find his sister. He could feel his body change from his human form to his angrier, more violent, destructive demonic form. The demon's breathing hitched as he started to snarl and his youki exploded from his body. The occupants of this city would soon feel his wrath.

The jaganshi tried to control his anger. He couldn't destroy the place now in case his sister would get caught in the rubble. However, he grew frustrated when he couldn't find her or any other ice maiden. As curious onlookers tried to locate the source of the malevolent youki, they were met with fingernails through their heads and necks. He needed blood. The petty demons' blood wasn't enough to sate his lust. He had tried to control himself ever since Shuichi told him where Yukina was being held. Hiei held back his power until Shuichi was in no danger. But now, now there was nothing to stop his carnal lust. The city that fed off that brackish, viscous, crimson liquid would soon be drowned in it.

The fire demon was now growling and killing any demon in his sight. The ones that were strong enough to survive any physical blows were mangled and scalded by his intense black flames. He wanted every creature in that hell to experience the pain Yukina had endured. Soon, demons were fleeing the city by the hundreds, only to be devoured by Hiei's youki as he went on a rampage and started to destroy the edifices that housed the torturers. It was like watching roaches leaving their homes after being exposed to light. Hiei killed them all with one shot of his youki. There was nothing that could calm his rage now. It didn't even register in his head that his sister could be trapped by the mess he was making now.

It took an hour for Hiei's wrath to calm down. He was standing on a pile of debris where the city used to stand. He breathed heavily, trying to calm himself. He scanned the area again with is jagan and was disappointed when he couldn't sense the ice maidens. He slumped down and he wondered if Shuichi was wrong. There weren't even dead koorime. He destroyed the city, so shouldn't something have been uncovered? The wards should be destroyed with his level of youki emanating throughout the city.

Just as the little demon was going to leave, he heard a pained moan. But this cry was strange, almost calling out to him. He followed the distressed call until he realized it was coming from underground. He easily dug through the ground and reached a huge cavern. He was surprised with what he found. It wasn't the ice maidens but something even more rare. Right before his eyes was an old dragon. It was laying on its side with chains and other binds holding it down. It looked tired and very sick. Its wings were torn out and its claws and been pulled out. The dragon's wounds were healed. It seemed like the dragon had been down in this hell for too long. No doubt Tarukane was keeping him here and profiting off him. With the pallid sun rays shining down from the hole in the ceiling, Hiei could see that the creature's scales had dulled and lost its metallic luster.

Although the creature couldn't speak, Hiei understood what it was telling him. It wanted to be put out of its misery. Hiei had no problem granting his wish but there was something he wanted to know first. The demon asked if he knew where the ice maidens were. The dragon took a while before answering. It couldn't speak but gave its answer through his mind. He told Hiei that the maidens were held underground. Even if Hiei destroyed the city above, the wards would still be in place underground. The jaganshi bowed slightly as thanks and quickly and as painlessly as possible, killed the ancient dragon.

Without further delay, the little demon dug through the ground with his youki in hopes that he would find the underground tunnels that hid his sister from him. After a couple of minutes, he broke through to a passageway. It was very dark and dry down there. He was amazed that with all the damage he wreaked on the city, this hidden place was practically untouched. Even without light, Hiei could easily navigate the tunnels with his demon senses. Although his jagan couldn't see the koorime, he could smell them, and blood as well. He grew furious again at the thought of what had happened to his kin.

When he approached the prison cells, the maidens shrunk away from him. He called out for Yukina but none of the maidens would answer him. He called for her again but there was no response. The girls crouched away from him and one easily broke into tears. Hiei could smell blood stained on her kimono. He approached her and tore off her prison door. As he moved closer toward her, she lowered the temperature around them and tried to freeze him. Hiei tried to reach out to her but she rushed toward him and stabbed him in the arm with an icicle. It stung, but Hiei made no effort to push her away from her. She seemed shaken after attacking him and backed off when she saw the look on his face. No doubt he was angry and she thought he was going to punish her. She was ready to die already. There was no way she could stand the torture for another day. Before she knew it, she started to cry and the tears hit the floor with a soft 'clink.' The maiden wanted him to take the gems and leave already. They didn't have to torture her anymore.

Hiei felt a pang of pity for the young maiden. She was probably Yukina's age, if not younger. Although Hiei couldn't remember exactly what his sister looked like, he knew the young girl in front of him was not her. The jaganshi removed the icicle in his arm and threw it aside. She cowered when he reached out for her again. He tilted her head to look at him.

"Stop crying," Hiei ordered. Her body automatically stopped, learning long ago to listen to whatever the demons demanded. She stifled her last sobs and looked imploringly into his ruby eyes. Hiei tried to be as gentle as he could, knowing that her psyche was damaged.

"I'm looking for an ice maiden. Her name is Yukina and she..." Hiei stopped when he realized he couldn't describe her at all. A fear grew in him when he discovered he had no idea what she looked like at all. How was he supposed to find her? Hiei was lost in thought when the maiden spoke up.

"Yukina..." she said slowly. She looked at his face and she seemed to stabilize. Her small hands held his face in between them.

"She has the same eyes you do," the small maiden said.

"Where is she?" Hiei asked a little desperately. He was so close to her. Maybe she was in another cell just a few yards away. He listened intently, waiting for her response.

"I'm sorry, but she was taken away from her a while ago. I don't know how long it's been because we don't see the days change but it couldn't have been long ago."

"Who were they?" Hiei asked.

"I-I don't know, but they were human," she said. Hiei let this sink in and felt cheated. He was so sure he would finally see her again. It was fine though. If they were humans, he could deal with them easily. Now there was something else he wanted to know.

"Have you ever seen another human around here before? His name is Tarukane. He has a couple of demon bodyguards too. They are called Toguro and Karasu."

"I don't know their names but I've never seen a human here before the ones that took Yukina. Other than the usual demons that come to torture us, there was only one demon that stood out. He was the first to make Yukina cry. He had a silver mask and long black hair. He was..." she stopped as her body started to shake involuntarily.

"Karasu," Hiei snarled. He would definitely make that crow pay. He had heard everything he needed and turned to leave. The girl grabbed him and her eyes begged for him to save her. He gently removed his arm from hers and he left her cell. He tore off all the doors and created a tunnel directly from their prison to the rubble above ground. They were finally free.

Hiei stayed until all the maidens were free and then left. He had no time to escort them back to the Makai. Right now, he was only concerned with finding Karasu and ripping his flesh from his bone. He knew he hadn't killed Karasu when he destroyed the city. The crow had to be around somewhere though. The fire demon scouted the areas that surrounded the city and his eyes fell upon the area where he and Shuichi parted ways. His heart beat faster as he neared the area . He saw marks on the ground that indicated a struggle. It was faint, but he smelled Karasu's scent tied in with the human's. He grew alarmed because he knew what it meant. Karasu now had Shuichi in his grasp.

"SHUICHI!" Hiei cried.

X X X X

The crimson haired youth opened his eyes and saw a bright light shining above him. He lifted his hand to shield his eyes and moaned. 'Was someone calling me?' he wondered. For a moment, he felt lost and confused. Where was he? He didn't remember falling asleep. The teen was on a bed and grew even more puzzled. When did he check into a hotel with Hiei?

"Shuichi, Shuichi..." came the soft voice again. Was that Hiei calling him? It sounded nothing like him though. He felt a ghostly hand settled around his neck and a mouth near his ear. Was Hiei nibbling on his ear now? 'Another dream?' Shuichi thought. The mouth grew even more aggressive and was sucking on his earlobe and then darted a tongue into his ear. Shuichi moaned and closed his eyes again. Oh well, it was a nice dream. The mouth them bit down on his ear and drew blood. Shuichi felt a sharp pain. 'Pain? Then this isn't a dream...' Shuichi concluded. The hand around his neck tightened and Shuichi's pulse quickened. 'I didn't k now Hiei was into this kind of stuff.' The hand closed around even tighter and the body atop his pressed down against him. 'It's fine if he's into this, but he should know when to stop...' Shuichi thought. He started to panic when he could no longer breathe. 'Hiei, stop. I'm suffocating.' The mouth removed itself from his ear and Shuichi wanted to stop. 'Something's wrong. This doesn't feel right. I can't breathe. Hiei, help me. Help me, please. Karasu. Karasu is here and...'

The human's eyes shot open and everything came back to him. It wasn't Hiei that was with him but Karasu instead. He fought for air again and struggled against his captor. Karasu was straddling him and dug his nails into the youth's neck. Shuichi felt faint and thought he was going to lose consciousness again. Mentally, he cried out for Hiei again. To his surprise, Karasu let him go. Shuichi inhaled sharply and coughed as the air found its way into his lungs again. Karasu was licking the blood off his fingers as he watched the boy under him breathe again.

"Don't worry, I need you alive and aware for what's going to happen next..." Karasu said. Shuichi froze at these words as he realized they were both naked, and he was straddled by Karasu on a bed. Naturally, he tried to break free, but the crow easily caught his hands and pinned them above his head. The demon licked the blood on the youth's neck again as Shuichi tried to squirm out of his hold.

"Ah. You taste so sweet, Shuichi-kun. Just like strawberries..." Karasu smiled. He bent down to land a kiss on his lips, but Shuichi moved his head aside so that the crow kissed his cheek. He chuckled and then grabbed the human's head. He turned it so that Shuichi faced him and then kissed him. Shuichi made sounds of protest but Karasu paid it no mind.

"There, was that so hard?" Karasu asked when he finally released his lips. Shuichi spit at him. The demon wiped the substance off his face. He didn't mind the defiance. The more feisty, the more fun he would have, and the more satisfying it would be when he finally broke him. Karasu traced his finger down his side and stopped just below his ribs. He gently stroked his skin before slicing him open with his nail. Shuichi wailed at the first cut. Karasu smiled. So the human didn't have as much endurance as he thought. It wouldn't be so fun if he snapped too easily. Tears were gathering in his eyes and Karasu kissed him on the forehead, as if apologizing for the pain. He was having a hard time breathing again. 'Oh no. Did I get him in the lung?' Karasu thought. As his eyes were distracted by the vast amount of blood streaming from the cut, a fist caught him in the cheek. He was more shocked than hurt that the human would still defy him after crying out so quickly.

Shuichi got away while Karasu was temporarily stunned by his attack. He made a dash for the door but wasn't quick enough as he felt strong cold hands grabbed him and throw him back onto the bed. Shuichi got back up and his eyes darted around the room. There were no windows he could escape from. Where did Karasu bring him?

"Now that's troublesome," Karasu chastised. He straddled the human's legs as he grabbed Shuichi's left arm and Shuichi heard some chains rattle. His suspicions were confirmed when he felt a cold metal cuff close around his left wrist. Shuichi tugged against the restraint and his spirit dampened when he realized he couldn't break it. Karasu chuckled as he brought Shuichi's right wrist to his mouth.

"I can't have you hitting me and trying to escape when I'm trying to have some fun," Karasu admonished. Shuichi gritted his teeth and promised himself that he couldn't cry this time. He prepared himself for pain as the crow bit down and tore off some skin with his teeth. The demon was drinking his blood and smiled when he saw the youth close his eyes. He would get him to make some noise. Karasu licked the wound and then trailed up onto his palm and traced circles around, leaving a red circles on his palm before licking his fingers. Shuichi's breathing grew unsteady as Karasu played with his right hand. How could someone as sadistic as Karasu make this so erotic? Shuichi gasped when Karasu's free hand pinched his nipple. He rolled it until it turned into a hard nub, and in the meantime managed to find all the sensitive areas of his hand. Shuichi grew confused, not knowing whether to feel afraid or to just give in. He never felt anything like this before. Was there such a fine line between pleasure and pain?

Karasu was watching Shuichi's face, amused as he tried to fight the reactions Karasu illicit from his body. The crow watched as his face changed from an expression of pain to one of mixed pleasure. He almost wasn't sure which expression he liked better. Almost. He enjoyed the look of fear and hopelessness on his victims more than anything else. He was going to snap him back into reality soon enough. Karasu lowered his hand from Shuichi's nipple to trace the wound he made below his ribs earlier. Shuichi was still delirious from the loss of blood and the pleasure. The crow entwined his hand with Shuichi's and kissed Shuichi's knuckles. Karasu dug his nail below his skin and watched as Shuichi's face grimaced. The demon dug his finger along his skin and stopped when he could feel the bone. Without any warning, Karasu broke Shuichi's ribs as he pulled the lower most left rib from his body. Shuichi cried loudly but fought to keep the scream under control. The human clenched his hand around Karasu's in an attempt to lessen his pain. Karasu laughed as Shuichi futilely tried to keep Karasu from sensing his fear and pain. The demon kissed his hand again before putting another chained cuff onto his right wrist.

"S-stop it. Just get it over with and... kill me," Shuichi choked. He was lost in the pain and wanted it all to end. He didn't know how much more he could put up with.

"Kill you? Not yet. I still haven't had my fun..." Karasu said as he slid is hands down the youth's body, leaving crimson trails along his sides.

"I see you've healed beautifully since our last encounter," the crow said as his eyes inspected his skin.

"Did Kurama finally find you?" Karasu asked sadistically. Shuichi gritted his teeth and didn't respond. He hoped that he would lose consciousness soon. He couldn't deal with questions about Kurama now. 'Oh gods, why did I ever leave him?' Shuichi desperately wondered.

Karasu knew he hit a sore spot when Shuichi didn't answer.

"You loved him didn't you? Your lovely, beautiful, virile, sensual guardian? Would you like me to tell you what we did?" Karasu offered. Shuichi glared at him and fought violently to get away from the demon. He didn't care that he was losing blood at a dangerous rate. He needed to get away. Karasu held the youth down. It would be bad if Shuichi passed out now, Karasu was too aroused.

"Alright. I guess you can figure out what we did," Karasu chuckled. "It's a shame though, that you'll never find out what a great lay your guardian was," Karasu said. Shuichi didn't reply.

"And he'll never know how sweet the fruit he let go tasted like," Karasu said. Shuichi shot him a hateful look, knowing full well what Karasu planned to do with him. However, Shuichi realized that he didn't care that he never slept with Kurama. He was sure that being with Kurama would be nothing new and exciting for the youko. Only demons like the one on top of him would excite Kurama. The only one Shuichi felt like betraying was Hiei. He regretted not going all the way with Hiei when he had the chance and regretted not confessing his feelings to him.

The crow demon saw the solemn look on the youth's face and decided that he should make Shuichi his already. He shouldn't be thinking of anyone else but him. Karasu bent down to lap up the blood on Shuichi's torso with his tongue. Shuichi winced when the demon licked the wound but didn't make a sound.

Karasu went further down and managed to arouse Shuichi against his will. The teen clenched his hands and tried to kick his captor but it was all useless since Karasu was infinitely stronger than he was. Karasu bent Shuichi's left knee and licked the inside of his thigh. He traced a trail from his pelvis to the inside of his knee and played some more with Shuichi's sensitive skin. After a couple of minutes, Karasu pinned Shuichi's left leg down to his side so that Shuichi was exposed to him. Shuichi tried to kick him with his right leg, but Karasu easily caught it. Karasu held his right leg down with his left leg and smiled down at Shuichi. 'He'll belong to no one but me,' Karasu thought. He stroked Shuichi's right thigh and then carved his name into his flesh with his hand. Shuichi held back a cry every time a new incision was placed into his thigh. Karasu licked the blood again and cruelly kissed the cuts. After he was finished, he decided that he played with him enough.

The demon positioned them so that Shuichi was almost bent in half, with his legs sandwiched between the two torsos. Shuichi could almost hear his muscles protesting. Karasu brought his hand through Shuichi's hair and inhaled his scent. He played with Shuichi's hair. 'Just like silk,' the demon thought. He let the last strands escape his fingers before he focused on Shuichi's face. The human was hatefully glaring at him. His pretty emerald eyes had lost their shine and dulled, no doubt due to the pain and loss of blood. He gritted his teeth, preparing himself for penetration. Karasu wouldn't disappoint him as he entered him. The demon happily enjoyed fucking the resistant youth beneath him as he watched the shame and agony wash across his face.

Shuichi kept his cries to a minimum as he tried to ignore the pain coming from his broken ribs and from his rape. He didn't know how, but he started to feel a strength vibrate throughout his body. Maybe it was his anger fueling his strength. Just as Karasu released his fluid inside Shuichi, the teen felt something hot flow through his veins.

Before Karasu could react, a huge plant pierced his heart and was feeding off his blood. The demon made a move to rip the plant from his chest, but it was useless. He tried to get away but he was being held down to the body beneath him. The plant quickly drained him of his blood and the demon collapsed on top of Shuichi.

The teen didn't understand how a plant came out of his body, but he didn't complain as it drained the life out of Karasu. As the demon got weaker and tried to get away, the plant pulled him closer to Shuichi and the human could feel strength returning to him. When Karasu collapsed on him, the plant retreated back into his body. It took him a few minutes before his brain could register everything. He didn't understand what went on but he knew that he had to get out of the room. He removed himself from Karasu and slowly made his way to the door. He was surprised when it opened easily and wasn't locked. He didn't care as he forced his legs to carry him away from the demon on the bed. The tunnel didn't seem to end and after a couple of minutes, he felt weak again and leaned against the wall. Breathing grew harder again and he slid to the floor. 'No, I can't die like this... Someone, anyone, help me' Shuichi thought. He couldn't stay awake any longer and he felt light headed. Before he knew it, he was unconscious.

X X X X

"What the fuck happened here?" Yusuke asked as the two detectives made it back into the city; well, what was left of the city. The tall skyscrapers and buildings were reduced to rubble and dust on the cracked ground. The two walked around the city, trying to find any survivors to tell them what happened. They only found burnt corpses. Kuwabara suggested going under the city to see what happened to the rest of the maidens. Cautiously, the duo found their way into the tunnels. It was so dark and dusty, they could barely see or breathe. Yusuke provided them with light with his spirit bullet.

They made their way through the tunnels, trying to sense any demons. There weren't any demons above ground, so maybe they all went under to hide. The detectives finally found their destination after an hour. Kuwabara was disappointed when they didn't find any koorime in their cells. He was hoping to play the gallant hero, but it seems someone has taken Yukina's friends away from here. From the fact that the doors were ripped open, Yusuke concluded that someone probably rescued the maidens already. Either that, or one of Tarukane's rivals had stolen the maidens from him.

Kuwabara suggested searching the other tunnels to see if there were any... corpses of the ice maidens. They started down a humid tunnel with many twists and turns. It descended down further into the Earth and had a steep incline. Yusuke was getting frustrated when the tunnel didn't seem to end. He was about to give up when Kuwabara sensed a dying demon youki. They got excited, hoping that they would find whoever destroyed the city. However, once they made it to the demon, he was already dead on the bed. They wondered if whoever killed him was still around. Kuwabara walked deeper into the tunnel to find a naked teen on the ground. Although he couldn't see very clearly, he could smell the blood on the human and knew that he needed help quickly. He took off his jacket and covered the youth with it. He called Yusuke and they carried him out of the tunnel.

It took them longer to get out of the tunnel than it took for them to find the human. By the time they made it back to the prison cells, both were breathing heavily. They put down the injured teen and decided to take a rest. It was so hard to breathe in that tunnel. After a couple of minutes, they decided to move again. Kuwabara started to lift the other teen, when he sensed danger from behind. He dodged it in time. The two detectives looked to see who attacked them.

"It's that freak from before," Kuwabara said. He had scraggly hair and wild eyes.

"How rude. I have a name. It's Toguro Ani. You should at least know the name of the person who sends you to your grave."

"Whoever you are, you can't take both of us at once. We might be humans, but we can kick your ass," Yusuke said. He got ready to fight when Kuwabara put a hand to stop him.

"Take him back to Yukina-san. I don't think he has very long," Kuwabara said as he gestured toward the injured human.

"What? Why can't you take him? This guy might be too strong for you to handle on your own," Yusuke said.

"T-too strong? What the hell are you talking about, I'm just as strong as you! And besides, I have to pay this coward back for stabbing me in the back last time," Kuwabara said. Toguro Ani didn't care to hear them talk anymore and extended his fingers to try and slice the two open. They both evaded him but Shuichi's body weakened by the minute.

"Come on, Urameshi, you have to take him back before it's too late," Kuwabara said. Yusuke wanted to argue, fearing that Kuwabara wouldn't make it on his own. However, he knew that Kuwabara would never let Toguro Ani go, after being attacked from behind. He reluctantly took Shuichi and left Kuwabara to fight the demon on his own.

"You better come back alive or I'll kick your ass," Yusuke said before leaving. Kuwabara nodded to Yusuke and formed his sword.

"A sword? Your friend would have better luck against me. He could shoot me away with a powerful blast but you... all you have is a sword that slices in one direction. This almost might be too easy for me," Toguro Ani said.

"Shut up!" Kuwabara yelled as he charged at the demon. As the demon predicted, he easily dodged all of Kuwabara's blows, even when he curved the sword to attack him in a different direction. All Kuwabara managed to do was slice off a few strands of the demon's hair and a finger. Toguro Ani effortlessly healed himself and went on the offensive this time. He dug his fingers into the ground and attacked Kuwabara from below, managing to slice open his torso and legs. He screamed as he fell to the ground, unable to run anymore. The demon laughed at him and approached.

'M-maybe Yusuke was right but... if I die, I'm going to take him with me!' Kuwabara thought. As Toguro Ani lifted up his hand to deal the last blow, Kuwabara mimicked the demon and send his spirit energy into the earth and attacked the demon from below. Toguro wasn't injured but moved away from Kuwabara, which was all the human needed to move away and come up with a plan. From his attacks, Kuwabara could see that his sword would be useless because the demon could morph his body so that his vital organs were never hurt. Well then, he just needed to pin him down. Just from observing the demon, he could start to predict his motions. The demon mostly moved his organs left or right to avoid an attack.

Toguro Ani was laughing maniacally, knowing that Kuwabara's attacks could never seriously injure him. While he was having fun with him, he would need to end this and squeeze information out of the human. He needed to know where the ice maidens were taken to.

Kuwabara could tell that the demon was dropping his guard, underestimating him. That was fine since he could just take advantage of his pride. Kuwabara charged straight at the demon with his sword pointed right at the demon. The demon started to move his organs again. Kuwabara then split his sword so that it exploded into several swords and the blades managed to pin down the demon's limbs to the wall. Kuwabara was still charging at him with a sword in his hand, ready to take the demon's head off. Toguro Ani wanted to deflect the attack, so he extended his fingers. If Kuwabara dodged the demon's attack, Toguro Ani would then be able to remove himself from the blades. The detective charged on, impaled by the fingers. Kuwbara extended his sword to reach the demon's neck. As predicted, the demon was going to move his head. Kuwabara split his sword in two and one blade sliced into Toguro Ani's neck.

Both were shocked when the battle came to an end. Kuwabara removed himself from the protruding fingers and slumped to the ground. Toguro Ani's head fell to the floor and rolled around. His body fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Kuwabara poked the body with his foot and gave a sigh of relief when nothing happened. He stayed for a couple of minutes before getting up to leave. Now he had another heroic story to tell Yukina-san.

X X X X

Another demon strolled the tunnels that lied beneath the city. Unlike the demons before him, he gracefully walked through, not the least bit troubled by the arid environment. The tunnels moved in different directions and most people would get lost down there, but not him. This demon loved puzzles. He would have loved at one time to seek out the treasures that lie hidden within this maze, but he currently had a mission.

He was worried when one of his plants had activated without his command. He had first thought there was another controller of plants around, but then realized that the plant that activated was one that he gave to his beloved human. He quickly followed the scent that led deeper into the tunnels. He stopped by a room with prison cells when he saw the decapitated demon on the floor. The body was trying to put the head back on.

"You must be one of those immortal kinds," the youko said. The body managed to finally put the head back on properly and the scraggly demon looked at him.

Kurama had a plant ready in his hand. If this demon was here, then he must have something to do with this place, something to do with Shuichi. The other demon lunged at him, but Kurama was ready. He threw the plant at him and it dug itself deep into Toguro Ani's body. It planted itself into the ground and held the demon immobile within its grasp.

"You might be immortal, but tell me, what is immortality lived in a world of illusions?" Kurama asked rhetorically. There was no way the other demon could answer him now.

He made his way into the room where he sensed his plant awaken. He was surprised to find Karasu dead on top of a bed. He moved closer to the corpse, noting the handiwork of his plant. He also didn't fail to observe the _other_ blood on the sheets and smell of sex on the bed. He grew angry with himself for ever letting Shuichi go and failing to seek out Karasu and kill him once Shuichi told him what he did. If only he forced Shuichi to come back with him, none of this would have happened. As he fought with himself, another demon entered the room. Kurama turned around to see a short raven clad demon glare at him. He looked at Karasu on the bed and then at him.

"Who are you?" they both asked.

X X X X X X X X X X

A/N: Yay! The story's almost at an end! Just one more chapter to go...


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